Gedenksteen met daarop drie hoefsmeden en het jaartal '1614' 1836 - 1912

Isaac Weissenbruch made this print of a stone commemorating three blacksmiths in the Netherlands in 1826. The image shows artisans at work, hammering and shaping metal. It memorializes the blacksmiths guild from 1614, an era when guilds played a central role in Dutch society, regulating trade and production standards. Prints like this served to record and celebrate local history, reinforcing a sense of community identity. Weissenbruch’s detailed rendering of the blacksmiths' tools and attire is both informative and nostalgic, idealizing labor and craftsmanship at a time when industrialization was beginning to transform traditional trades. It suggests a longing for a simpler, more communal past. Historians use sources such as guild records, local histories, and period illustrations to understand the socio-economic context in which such works were made. Through this work, the print becomes more than just an image; it becomes a window into the values and anxieties of a changing society.