Visvangst met net 1578

This engraving, Visvangst met net, was made by Philips Galle in the late 16th century. The printmaking process allowed for the detailed depiction of a fishing scene, but also placed the artwork within a burgeoning economy of images. Consider the materiality of the print. Each line is the result of a precise incision into a metal plate, showcasing the engraver's skill. The matrix is then inked and pressed onto paper, resulting in multiples. The image becomes more available, more widely distributed. The scene itself shows laborers engaged in the repetitive, physically demanding work of fishing. The image thus encapsulates a tension: it is both a commodity produced through skilled labor and a representation of labor itself. This reminds us that all artworks are also the product of making processes, embedded in social and economic conditions. Recognizing the importance of materials and making helps us to appreciate the multiple layers of meaning that prints like this one convey.