Kaasverkoper 1660

Giuseppe Maria Mitelli made this print, "Kaasverkoper," using etching, a technique that democratized image production in the 17th century. Mitelli was from Bologna, and this print reflects the culture of commerce and trade that characterized Italian city-states. The image depicts a cheese vendor, an everyday figure, carrying his wares. We see the tools of his trade: the basket, the scales, and the knife. Such prints were made for a rising middle class, eager to consume images of daily life. Note the verses below the image. These suggest the print wasn't just a picture but an advertisement, a sign of how art was becoming integrated into the marketplace. To understand this work fully, one might consult trade records and guild documents. These would tell us more about the economic conditions that allowed artists like Mitelli to thrive and how art played a role in shaping urban life. Remember, art is always embedded in a specific social and institutional context.