Leslokaal met onderwijzer die leerling bestraft 1735 - 1784

This print, "Leslokaal met onderwijzer die leerling bestraft," was made by Jean Ouvrier in the 1700s. It's an engraving, a technique where lines are cut into a metal plate, then filled with ink and pressed onto paper. The real labor here is in the meticulous handwork. Look closely, and you'll see that every line contributes to the overall scene: the architecture of the schoolroom, the posture of the children, the expressions on their faces. Ouvrier wasn't just copying an image; he was translating it into a language of pure labor. Consider the social context. Education in this period was often harsh. The teacher, wielding a switch, embodies a system of discipline. Ouvrier's print, made through equally disciplined labor, mirrors the world it depicts. It reminds us that art, like education, is never neutral. It's always shaped by the social relations of its time.