Druivenplukker before 1731

This print, "Druivenplukker", was made by Jean Moyreau using etching and possibly engraving. The lines are delicate and precise, requiring a steady hand and deep knowledge of the materials. The image depicts a man picking grapes within an ornate architectural framework. We can tell that the processes are time-consuming and require high skill. These prints would have been made in multiples, allowing for wider circulation of imagery and ideas at a time before photography. Here, the contrast between the natural subject matter – the grape picker and vines – and the highly artificial setting is striking. The grapes may represent the labor of cultivation, harvest, and consumption, while the elaborate structure speaks to the economics that underpin it all. Considering the material and process of the print alongside its imagery provides a deeper understanding of the social and cultural context in which it was made.