Man met paarden bij huizen aan het water 1826

Jan Dam Steuerwald created this print, "Man with horses near houses on the water," using pencil and possibly some kind of etching technique. Steuerwald’s graphic handling has a wonderful descriptive capacity. The thatched roof of the right-hand house has a palpable texture. The success of the image is, of course, dependent on Steuerwald’s eye and the skill of his hand, but there’s another element at play here. Prints like this one were made in multiples. They were inexpensive, and they brought views into people’s homes that they otherwise would not have had. In this way, the etching process makes the artist something like a factory. This image demonstrates how close the world of fine art was to the world of production, which is where the real innovation was happening in the 19th century. It’s yet another reason to think about “art” and “craft” as part of the same continuum.