Deez' prent strek' u, o lieve jeugd, / Tot leering bij gepaste vreugd. / Daar zij u eenigzins ook meldt, / Hoe 't loon altijd ons werk vergeldt 1822 - 1870

This moral print for children, made by Willem Bal in the 19th century, is printed on paper and hand-colored. The texture of the paper itself is critical to the image. Its slight absorbency would have allowed the colors to key into its surface, giving a soft and even tonality. Prints like this one were produced in multiples, often by printmakers who specialized in this kind of ephemera. Bal would have etched the design on a metal plate, and this would then have been inked and pressed onto the paper. Afterwards, the coloring would have been added, possibly by children or others doing piecework. The images and accompanying verses speak to the virtue of hard work. In this, they reflect the values of the emerging bourgeois class in the Netherlands, and a world of social mobility. The images depict the interactions between people and animals on a farm, highlighting the value of labor in both rural and urban life. Ultimately, this simple print embodies a complex network of making and meaning. It reminds us that even the most modest objects can tell big stories.