Lantaarnopsteker 1635 - 1694

Curator: What a striking print! This woodcut, "Lantaarnopsteker," by Dirck de Bray, likely made sometime between 1635 and 1694, depicts a lamplighter. Editor: It's incredibly stark. The high contrast between black and white lends a dramatic, almost theatrical air to the everyday scene. You feel the weight of the ladder, the grit of the cobblestones under his feet. Curator: Indeed. Consider the social context. Before widespread electrification, lamplighters were essential workers, responsible for public safety and extending the day into the night. Editor: The method of production is important. De Bray would have painstakingly carved away at a block of wood. The very labor involved mimics, in a way, the lamplighter’s own toil. The sharp lines almost feel like you could feel them! Curator: Precisely. The print elevates what was, in reality, manual and likely arduous labor into something of a visual commodity. These prints, circulating among different social strata, contributed to constructing narratives around labor itself. The very process mirrors society! Editor: Did these kinds of prints circulate widely? How did their reception shift over time, influencing perceptions of civic life and labor? It almost documents these men who were responsible for public spaces, now completely automated. Curator: Early printmaking enabled imagery like this to become quite ubiquitous. The themes here really touch on the growth of urban life and emerging concepts of civic duty within Dutch society at this time. This little scene provides insight into larger social operations. Editor: It definitely underscores the connection between art and social consciousness, prompting reflection on how we perceive and value labor today. Curator: Absolutely, the woodcut reveals something significant regarding both the life and the way of making back then. Editor: A slice of life, rendered with stark beauty and incisive social commentary.