Keukeninterieur met keukenmeid 1754

Pierre Etienne Moitte made this print, *Keukeninterieur met keukenmeid*, using engraving, a process where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. Moitte’s choice of engraving to depict a kitchen interior is significant. Engraving, with its capacity for detailed linework, mirrors the meticulous labor of the kitchen maid. Look closely, and you'll notice the textures of the wooden buckets and metal pots. Moitte’s engraving captures the weight and feel of everyday objects, raising the status of laboring class objects to fine art. The scene itself invites consideration of the amount of work involved in food preparation and service, as well as the architecture of the kitchen which would have been designed for an army of staff performing manual labour. By focusing on the processes and materials of both the depicted kitchen and the engraving itself, we begin to see how Moitte elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.