Vrouw trekt een andere vrouw voort op een slee 1764

Jean Baptist Leprince made this print, "Vrouw trekt een andere vrouw voort op een slee," using etching and possibly engraving. These are processes predicated on patient, skilled labor. The fine lines are achieved by drawing through a resistant ground, allowing acid to bite into the metal plate, which is then inked and printed. In this wintry scene, we see figures engaged in the labor of leisure. The act of pulling a sled is work, yet done in the spirit of play. Leprince highlights the social dynamic of labor and class through the composition. The laboring figures are framed within a landscape of both communal enjoyment and the background presence of more affluent onlookers. The print's success depends on the physical effort of the artist, the skilled labor of the printer, and the social context it depicts. It reminds us that even depictions of leisure are rooted in material processes and social dynamics.