The Forge 1616 - 1677

Thomas Wijck made this etching, "The Forge", in the Netherlands, sometime in the mid-17th century. It depicts a blacksmith's workshop set within the ruins of a classical building. The image presents an intriguing contrast between past and present. Wijck references the grandeur of classical architecture while highlighting the industry of the working class. This was a period of economic expansion in the Netherlands, but also of growing inequality. Notice how the workers are dwarfed by the scale of the ruins. The image could be seen as a commentary on the social structures of the time, with the working class laboring amidst the remnants of a once-great civilization. The Dutch Republic was heavily shaped by institutional changes. Perhaps this print reflects anxieties about how those institutions would impact the common worker? Historians can research economic data and social commentaries from the Dutch Golden Age to further understand the context in which this print was made. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.