Boerenfeest voor een herberg c. 1747

This print, "Boerenfeest voor een herberg," was made by Jacques Philippe Le Bas in the 18th century, using the technique of etching. The image is made of a series of tiny lines, bitten into a copper plate with acid, then inked and printed onto paper. Etching, while a means of mechanical reproduction, was also a highly skilled craft. Le Bas, as an engraver, was part of a system driven by market demand, catering to a public eager for images. The scene depicts a lively peasant festival outside a tavern. We see people drinking, dancing, and reveling. The very subject of the print—the celebration and gathering of the working class—speaks to a broader cultural interest in the lives and activities of everyday people. By focusing on the making of this print, we can understand it not just as an artistic expression, but as a product of skilled labor, market forces, and social observation, all deeply intertwined.