Pratiqve de la Guerre. Contenant l'usage de l'Artillerie, Bombes & Mortiers, Feux Artificiels & Petards, Sappes & Mines, Ponts & Pontons, Tranchees & Travaux, auec l'ordre des Assauts aux Breches. Ensemble vn traite des Feux de Ioye/par le sievr de Malthvs… 1650

This is an image from Francis Malthus's "Pratique de la Guerre," a book probably made in France, dating to around the mid-17th century. Consider the nature of the book itself: paper, ink, and the printing press, all relatively new technologies at the time. This was a moment when knowledge was becoming more democratized, moving away from purely handmade manuscripts. The image here, showing the siege of a fortified city with cannons firing, would have been made by carving a block of wood or metal, inking it, and pressing it onto the page. The labor involved in producing such a book was considerable – from the papermakers to the typesetters, printers, and binders. The book itself is a product of early industrialization. And, of course, its subject – warfare – is deeply tied to social issues of power, politics, and consumption, all underwritten by human labor. So, in this object, we see a convergence of craft, technology, and social context. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images can be rich with meaning when we consider their making.