Vier Franstalige drempeldichten 1605

This is a page from ‘Vier Franstalige drempeldichten’, a book of poems in French, likely printed in the Netherlands. Focusing on the material qualities of this page, it is clear that the production process was based on principles of mechanical reproduction, where a printing press was used to apply ink to paper. The uniformity of the letters, the evenness of the lines, and the repetition of the printed elements are all testament to this. The paper itself, likely made from rags, would have been a valuable commodity. The act of printing these poems democratized them, making them available to a wider audience than if they were handwritten. Yet it also speaks to a highly literate society, and to an economy capable of producing the required paper and ink. The very existence of this book, therefore, offers a window onto the economic and social conditions of its time. It reminds us that all artworks, even the most seemingly simple, are products of their context.