Man biedt vis te koop aan bij dame met kind aan hand in deuropening 1776 - 1847

This print, “Man biedt vis te koop aan bij dame met kind aan hand in deuropening,” was made by Johannes Christiaan Bendorp using etching and engraving. The intricate lines and shading of this work are the direct result of these processes. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy ground, then scratching an image into the ground with a needle to expose the metal beneath. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. Engraving is different: it uses a tool called a burin to directly carve lines into the metal. These techniques, while painstaking, allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images. Prints like this one served as a key means of disseminating visual information, circulating both artistic ideas and, as we see here, scenes of everyday life. The interaction between the fish seller and the well-dressed woman speaks volumes about the social hierarchies and economic exchanges of the time. It's a vignette of labor, class, and consumption, all captured through the careful application of ink to paper.