Reproductie van een gravure van vier mannen die werken met een dubbele snelpers door Charles Laplante before 1892

This engraving of four men operating a double quick press was reproduced by Rimmer van der Meulen, a Dutch artist, in the late 19th or early 20th century. The print offers a glimpse into the industrialized world and the labor-intensive processes behind mass production. Gender and class dynamics are subtly at play here: the all-male workforce suggests a gendered division of labor common at the time, while their coordinated efforts hint at the collective experience of working-class individuals within these new systems. Notice how the workers are engaged in a meticulously choreographed dance with the machinery, their bodies intertwined with the cogs and wheels of progress. There is a certain intimacy captured within this industrial setting, a sense of shared purpose amidst the noise and grime. The piece acts as a historical document and a reflection on the human condition in a rapidly changing world.