Rokende boer met spade en hooivork 1793 - 1835

François Joseph Pfeiffer created this etching of a smoking farmer with spade and pitchfork in the early 19th century. The composition is dominated by the figure of the farmer, his form rendered through a dense network of etched lines that create a rich, tactile surface. Note the artist’s use of line to define the farmer’s clothing, face, and tools, giving them volume and texture. The smoke emanating from his pipe provides a dynamic counterpoint to the static tools on his shoulder. Consider how the etching technique itself, with its reliance on linear marks, emphasizes the graphic quality of the image. The marks create a sense of depth and shadow, yet also remind us of the two-dimensional nature of the print. The farmer, pipe in mouth, emerges as a figure caught between labor and leisure. Pfeiffer offers not just a representation of rural life but also an exploration of the formal qualities inherent in the printmaking process. In doing so, he invites us to consider the artwork as a crafted object, full of both cultural and aesthetic meaning.