Mozes wijst op de moord op een oude man 1778 - 1785

Noach van der Meer the Younger made "Moses points to the murder of an old man" with etching and engraving techniques sometime in the 18th century. Etching and engraving are both printmaking methods that involve using metal plates to create an image. The etcher uses acid to corrode the metal, while the engraver uses tools to cut directly into the surface. Both of these techniques are subtractive, in that they involve the careful removal of material. The labor involved in producing a print like this is considerable. Skilled artisans would need to prepare the metal plate, create the image, and then print it, impression after impression. Looking at the image, you can almost feel the concentration needed to render such detail. Seen in this light, printmaking can be understood as a mode of production, one which predates industrialization but nevertheless involves a division of labor, skill, and time. This print offers us an opportunity to consider how these processes imbue artworks with social and cultural significance, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.