Drie mannen in gesprek, een man met een kameel en een man met een pakket onder zijn arm 1620 - 1664

Stefano della Bella created this small print – "Three men in conversation, a man with a camel and a man with a package under his arm" – using etching, a printmaking technique, sometime between 1610 and 1664. Della Bella would have covered a copper plate with a waxy ground, then scratched through it with a needle to expose the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink was applied to the plate, filling these grooves, and then the surface was wiped clean. Finally, paper was pressed against the plate, transferring the ink and creating the print. What's fascinating here is how this relatively industrial process, which allowed for the mass production of images, is used to depict a scene of labor and trade, with figures carrying goods and accompanied by a camel. The linear quality of the etching emphasizes the figures' forms and their implied movement. By understanding the process of etching, we can better appreciate how della Bella used a technology tied to production to represent themes of work and exchange, blurring the lines between art, craft, and the broader social context of labor.