Ooievaars 1611 - 1650

This print, titled 'Ooievaars' or Storks, was made by an anonymous artist using an engraving technique. The process involves cutting lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then pressing paper onto the plate to transfer the image. Here, the storks are depicted within an environment created with remarkable detail. Notice the basket-weave texture that suggests a commonality between the natural and the man-made. The choice of engraving for this subject matter adds to the piece's social significance. Engraving, while capable of fine detail, was also a relatively reproducible medium, aligning it with the rise of print culture and the wider distribution of images. The labor-intensive nature of engraving contrasts with the ease with which multiple impressions can be made, pointing to emerging industrial modes of production and consumption. Considering materials, making, and context is key to understand the full meaning of ‘Ooievaars’, and challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.