Drinkende vrouw en rokende man 1755

This engraving by Abraham Delfos depicts a woman drinking from a jug and a man smoking a pipe. Though rendered in ink on paper, the composition draws our attention to the vessels that the figures hold. The jug is particularly notable, and seems to be made of stoneware. Notice how Delfos uses line to give a sense of its density and form, imbuing the image with weight. The pipe and glass, though smaller, are just as meticulously rendered. The choice of engraving is significant. As a reproductive medium, it allowed Delfos to circulate this image widely, capitalizing on the growing popularity of genre scenes that captured everyday life. But it is also important to remember the labor involved; each line carefully incised into the metal plate, wiped with ink, and printed onto paper. By focusing on these tangible objects and the skilled processes behind their depictions, we move beyond the surface of the image to consider the broader social context of its creation, and the economies of labor and consumption that underpinned Dutch society in the 18th century.