Drie mannen en een vrouw gekleed volgens de Duitse mode, ca. 1580 1872 - 1875

This print, made around 1580 by an anonymous artist, depicts three men and a woman dressed in the German fashion of the time. Its materials—paper, ink, and pigment—were relatively common, but its creation involved a specialized division of labor. Engraving was the primary process, demanding the skill of a trained artisan to translate the original design onto a metal plate. From there, the printing process could be repeated, making multiple impressions. This allowed for the relatively widespread distribution of fashion trends. The added colors, likely applied by hand, would have been another layer of work. Consider the immense labor involved in producing the clothing depicted. The wool and linen required farming, spinning, and weaving. Dyes would be extracted, and painstaking tailoring executed. The fur trim signified status, as did the very act of keeping up with the latest styles. By examining the materials and making of this print, we appreciate its value as a record, not only of fashion but of the social and economic systems that made it possible.