Guirlande met ondermeer twee gespikkelde vruchten 1596 - 1633

This decorative garland, including two speckled fruits, was made by an anonymous artist. The technique used to create it was engraving, with a later application of color. The artist has taken a highly systematized approach, using standardized lines and hatched shading. Note the consistent weight of line. This implies a division of labor: perhaps one individual would have done the initial engraving, and another would have added color. The fruit itself is interesting. It almost seems to be bursting with seeds, which hints at themes of growth, abundance, and the natural world, all rendered through this highly processed method. The print also speaks to the rise of a consumer society. Ornament like this was meant to be disseminated widely and to provide patterns for other makers to imitate. The whole purpose of this print was to be copied and used for other things; its value wasn't so much in its status as an art object, as in its utility.