Gezicht op de Koepoortsweg te Hoorn 1728

Jan Goeree created this print, “Gezicht op de Koepoortsweg te Hoorn,” using etching and engraving techniques. The print shows a road leading towards the city, and a variety of figures populating the scene. The method is intaglio printing, where the image is incised into a metal plate, allowing for fine lines and detailed textures. The physical qualities of the print, its lines, and the gradations of tone, reflect the labor-intensive processes of etching and engraving. The artist would have needed skill and patience to manipulate tools to create the composition we see. Prints like this had social and cultural significance at the time. They were relatively affordable compared to paintings and allowed for the wide distribution of images and ideas. The work offers insight into the modes of production and consumption of images in the 18th century. It reminds us that art is not just about aesthetics, but also about how it’s made, and the social context in which it exists.