Haven met lossende boten before 1693

This is a print of a harbor scene, made by Richard Adam in the 17th century. It's made using etching, a printmaking technique that involves drawing into a prepared ground on a metal plate, and then using acid to bite the lines that will hold ink. The real subject of this print isn't just the ships and buildings depicted, but rather the system that they represent. Consider the immense labor involved in building these ships, quarrying the stone for the fortress, and moving goods. All of that work is represented here by Adam's incredibly fine and detailed lines, as well as the people in the landscape. Prints like this one were luxury goods, produced for a rising class of merchants. In a way, the print itself participates in the system of consumption it depicts: Adam, the etcher, is an artisan who uses skill, time, and labor to produce an image that will be purchased by those who profited from maritime trade. The traditional distinction between art and craft dissolves when we consider the image in its social and economic context.