De Hemel / Juwelen / Maan en sterren / Nachtrust before 1767

This print was made by Cornelis van Noorde in the 18th century. It's an etching, meaning the artist used acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. Consider the labor involved: the drawing, the careful application of acid, the wiping of the plate, and the presswork. These are all skilled tasks, typical of the print industry that flourished at this time. The medium lends itself to a relatively high degree of detail, seen especially in the rendering of light and shadow, and the textural differences between the sky, the landscapes, and the fabrics worn by the figures in each scene. Prints like this were often made in multiples, fueling a growing market for images and information, and this one offers four scenes representing different phases of the day. By looking closely at the making and the context, we appreciate how artworks participate in wider histories of production and consumption.