Interieur van de Heilige Stede (Nieuwezijds Kapel), gezien richting het westen 1685 - 1726

This print of the Nieuwezijds Chapel, made by Daniël Stopendaal, shows the church interior looking west. It's a detailed rendering, created through the incisive process of engraving, where lines are cut into a metal plate, inked, and then printed. The starkness of the print brings the labor of its production to the fore. Consider the sheer number of engraved lines, each one a deliberate act of skilled labor. The print invites us to consider the social context in which the church was embedded. The labor that went into creating both the physical space of the church, with all its carpentry and masonry, and the print itself, reflects a complex economy of devotion, patronage, and artistic skill. It's a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images are the result of many hands, each contributing to a larger cultural project. By acknowledging these layered processes, we recognize the limitations of any distinction between high art and the crafts that underpin it.