Vier rokende en drinkende mannen aan een tafel 1754

This print by Abraham Delfos, made around 1754, shows four men drinking and smoking at a table. It's made with etching, a process where lines are incised into a metal plate with acid. The artist would have used sharp tools to carefully expose the metal, controlling the depth and darkness of each mark. Look closely, and you’ll see how the density of these lines creates shadow and form. This painstaking process imbues the image with a gritty realism, despite its small scale. It’s quite different from the looser quality you would get from a drawing. The very act of printing implies a wider audience, suggesting a commentary on everyday life accessible to a broad public. The scene depicts commoners engaged in simple pleasures, but the printmaking technique elevates it beyond a mere snapshot. It uses the reproducible medium to elevate the status of working-class life.