Boekennar 1709 - 1782

"Boekennar," an etching by Christoph Weigel, depicts a woman surrounded by books in a library, seemingly lost in her work. Weigel, a German artist active in the 17th century, created this print during his lifetime (1654-1725). The etching, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, captures a humorous scene of a bookworm, with the woman seemingly overwhelmed by the vastness of the library. The intricate detail of the bookshelves and the woman's focus on her task, while the text beneath offers a humorous commentary on the life of a book lover, offer a glimpse into 17th-century book culture.