Timmerman 1830

This engraving of a carpenter was made by David van der Kellen in the Netherlands. This print gives us insight into the cultural status of tradesmen and the culture of labor during the industrial revolution. We see the interior of a modest workshop. The carpenter, with his focused gaze, almost appears to be studying the saw in his hands. Various tools, meticulously rendered, suggest the pride and skill associated with craftsmanship. In the Netherlands, then undergoing rapid industrialization, such images became ways to record and preserve traditional artisanal practices. This print celebrates the dignity of labor and the skill of the individual craftsman against a backdrop of mechanized production. By looking at trade manuals, guild records, and other visual representations of labor from this time, we can explore how the culture and institutions of labor were changing in response to broader economic shifts. What was the social role of art? In this case, it reflected on the value of work.