Onderdanen bij een vorst 1811

This print, Onderdanen bij een vorst, was made by Willem van Senus in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, using engraving – a printing technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. In this composition, the physical act of engraving becomes a kind of metaphor for labor. The fine, precise lines that define the figures and architecture demanded skilled craftsmanship, and a great deal of time. Yet, the print medium also makes the image infinitely reproducible. This tension between handcraft and mass production is key to the print's social context. It speaks to the hierarchies represented in the image itself – those kneeling before the king – but also reflects the changing status of craft in an age of emergent industry. Ultimately, examining the material and method helps us to consider the cultural values that Van Senus' print both embodies, and puts into circulation.