Man voor een meetlat 1783 - 1784

Robert Brichet created this print of a man standing against a measuring stick sometime between 1750 and 1850. It's made using etching, a printmaking process reliant on the controlled corrosion of metal. The image shows a working-class man, maybe a tradesman, standing rigidly, his height being measured. This was likely created in an era when physical attributes were considered in social and labor contexts. Notice the tools or products of his trade lying discarded on the floor, suggesting that his identity is tied to his labor. The etched lines allow for detailed textures and tonal variations, which capture the rough fabric of the man's clothing and the wooden texture of the measuring stick. Printmaking allowed for the mass production of images like these, and the wide dissemination of ideas about class, labor, and social hierarchy. Considering the social context, and the labor-intensive process of etching, allows us to move beyond mere aesthetics. It prompts us to consider the complex social and economic structures that this image both reflects and reinforces.