Horizontal Panel with a Row of Flowers Above a Frieze with a Hunting Scene in a Landscape, from Livre Nouveau de Fleurs Tres-Util 1645

This is ‘Horizontal Panel with a Row of Flowers Above a Frieze with a Hunting Scene in a Landscape’, made by Nicolas Cochin, sometime in the 17th century. It is an engraving, a printmaking process where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Look closely, and you’ll notice that the image has a crisp, linear quality. The density of these lines creates areas of tone and texture, which define the forms. You can almost feel the delicacy of the petals and the movement of the hunting scene. Engravings such as this were often collected in books and used as models by craftspeople working in various media, from ceramics to textiles. In Cochin’s image, nature is placed in direct juxtaposition with culture. Flowers represented bounty and beauty. The hunting scene depicts an aristocratic pastime, underscoring the division of labor: some people work, others pursue leisure. The print’s function was to distribute such imagery widely, to be replicated by skilled hands, and enjoyed as a sign of refinement. It thus played a key role in the system of production and consumption.