Schip in reparatie 1836 - 1912

This print, *Schip in reparatie*, was made by Isaac Weissenbruch, using etching, a printmaking technique that harnesses acid to create lines in a metal plate. The image shows two figures working on the hull of a boat; their labor is rendered with a sense of careful attention. Consider the laboriousness of the printmaking process itself. Each line had to be carefully drawn, bitten, and printed. The materiality of etching is also notable, with its own qualities of line, tone, and texture. Weissenbruch clearly relished the challenge of capturing the scene before him. In both the depicted boat repair, and the printmaking medium, there is a clear connection to work, and the everyday economy. While Weissenbruch was celebrated as a fine artist, his choice of subject matter – and printmaking – signals an interest in more demotic forms of visual culture. This print offers a glimpse into the world of labor, subtly blurring the lines between art and craft, design and industry.