Gezicht op Veere 1679

Gaspar Bouttats created this print, ‘Gezicht op Veere,’ using engraving techniques sometime before 1695. The image is created by carefully incising lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Engraving like this was not just a way to reproduce images. The lines themselves carry meaning. Look at the texture of the water, achieved by the engraver's hand. The image celebrates Veere as a bustling port city, with ships at sail, rendered through the engraver’s skilled labor. The print shows the city as a center of trade and maritime power, which was of course dependent on the labor of countless sailors, shipbuilders, and merchants. So, while this print might seem like a straightforward depiction, it’s also a product of--and a testament to--the economic activity of the Dutch Golden Age. By understanding the print's making and social context, we can appreciate its full meaning and challenge any assumed boundaries between art and craft.