Allegorie op het ochtendgloren met personificatie van Aurora c. 1590 - 1637

This print, *Allegory of the Dawn with Personification of Aurora,* was made by Egbert Van Panderen around the early 17th century. The image is achieved through engraving, a process of incising lines into a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. The linear quality of engraving lends itself well to the detailed rendering of this allegorical landscape, complete with mountains, villages, and figures engaged in various daily activities. The artist's labor is evident in the painstaking creation of each line, carefully controlled to build up tone and texture. Engraving was a key technology in the early modern period, allowing for the mass production and dissemination of images, fueling the growth of print culture and commerce. Prints like these played a crucial role in shaping visual culture and disseminating knowledge. Considering this artwork, with its complex choreography of labor, reminds us to appreciate the labor that went into its production, and its circulation in the world.