Argrarische instrumenten: eg en rol 1731

Bernard Picart created this print titled 'Argrarische instrumenten: eg en rol' - Agricultural instruments: harrow and roller - sometime between 1683 and 1733. It offers a glimpse into the machinery of labor during a period marked by stark social hierarchies. The print depicts various agricultural tools, each rendered with careful detail. Consider the social implications of these instruments, which were essential for food production, and thus, survival. Who controlled these tools? Who labored with them, and under what conditions? In the 17th and 18th centuries, agricultural labor was deeply intertwined with issues of class, with the majority of workers living in conditions of extreme poverty, while a small elite controlled the land and its resources. These tools represent the intersection of human effort and the land. They were the means through which societies sustained themselves, but also the instruments through which power was exercised and social inequalities were perpetuated. Picart’s detailed rendering invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between labor, land, and social power.