Neptunesfontein in Aranjuez 1694 - 1737

Pieter van den Berge's 'Neptunesfontein in Aranjuez' is made from ink on paper, using engraving and etching techniques. The matrix is metal, and the design is achieved through laborious, highly skilled application of acid. This print captures the magnificent fountain in the Aranjuez gardens. Its subject celebrates an aristocratic pleasure, but the print itself speaks to a different kind of industry. Consider the sheer effort required to produce prints like these in quantity. Here, manual skill and mechanical reproduction are combined, as the image is created in reverse, then printed many times over. The use of line, tone, and color is exquisite, but the real story is about distribution, about images going out into the world. The print is a democratic multiple, an accessible version of what was, in reality, an exclusive experience. This speaks volumes about the complex relationships between art, labor, and society in the 18th century. It reminds us that even images of leisure have a work history.