XXXI Op dat het recht gae 1614

This engraving, "XXXI Op dat het recht gae," was created by Roemer Visscher, sometime before his death in 1620. It is an etching printed on paper. The image is a visual pun of sorts, literally portraying the act of making right. It depicts a hand carefully gluing feathers to an arrow. The artist has used precise lines to give texture to the hand, the arrow and the cloud, and the image is accompanied by a block of letterpress text that elaborates on the theme. Prints like this one were made with relative ease, allowing for mass production and wide distribution. It's a far cry from the labor-intensive craft traditions, and more aligned with early forms of industrial production. The very nature of printmaking allows for dissemination of ideas and imagery, reflecting the burgeoning print culture of the time. Considering the materials, processes, and social context, we can appreciate the ingenuity and artistry involved in creating such a work, and how it blurred the boundaries between art, craft, and commerce.