Verkoopster van kranten 1831 - 1874

This print, "Verkoopster van kranten" or "Newspaper Vendor", was made by Noël-Eugène Sotain using a technique called engraving. The image is composed of very fine lines meticulously carved into a metal plate, an intensive and skilled process. Here, Sotain is depicting a street scene, but it’s also about the means of circulating information in 1791. The vendor and her wares, newspapers and pamphlets, are rendered with stark contrast. Note how the linear character of the engraving lends itself to portraying the texture of paper, and the details of the vendor’s dress. Engraving was a key method for reproducing images at this time, and it speaks to the rise of mass media. The very act of making and distributing news became a kind of industry. Sotain's image encourages us to think about how information is produced, distributed, and consumed within a specific social context. Appreciating the skill involved in producing a printed image reminds us that 'craft' and 'fine art' are not so different.