Man met een spade 1627 - 1665

Editor: So this engraving, "Man met een spade", roughly translated to "Man with a Spade," is by an anonymous artist and dates from somewhere between 1627 and 1665. It's incredibly detailed! What catches your eye most about it? Curator: Well, given the time, I think the relationship between labor and allegory is particularly compelling. The print medium itself democratizes the allegorical message – this isn't a unique, costly painting, but something reproducible, a message intended for wider circulation. The figure digging, juxtaposed with the classical figures... what work is being valued here? Editor: That’s an interesting point! I was focusing on the 'Fac et Spera' motto, 'Do and Hope,' suggesting a moral message. Does the choice of engraving, and its potential for wider reach, affect the social commentary of the work? Curator: Absolutely. Engraving enables a dissemination of values – specifically, in this image, a subtle blending of classical ideals with the virtues of labor. Consider the labor involved in *creating* the engraving, mirroring the labor of the man with the spade. How does this impact your reading of it? Editor: I hadn't considered that! So the very act of creating and distributing this artwork reflects its theme. That changes things – it is not only showing an ideal, it’s enacting it! Is the quality of the labor, printmaking included, what the artist wants us to think about? Curator: Precisely! The print is the product of skilled labor, distributed to potentially influence more physical labour. And think about who had access to it! I think more people engaged with it to draw encouragement and purpose. What an incredible demonstration of materiality, action and production! Editor: I never looked at it that way before! Now, I see it less as a simple allegory and more as an instruction manual on productivity! Thank you!