A woman making water after 1631

This small print, "A woman making water," was etched by an anonymous artist, using a metal plate and strong acid. The incised lines would have held ink, transferred to paper under great pressure. In this unassuming image, we see the essential role of printmaking in early modern Europe. The labor of making an image available for mass consumption. Notice the contrast between the finely drawn figure, and the more roughly rendered landscape, the etcher may have been demonstrating the range of textures possible with the technique. We might also reflect on the relationship between the etcher, whoever they may have been, and the laboring woman depicted in the print. Her intimate act, made public through a thoroughly commercial process. Ultimately, this print reminds us that art objects are also products of their time, shaped by the conditions of their making and the culture of labor and class.