Jong paar en een oude vrouw met geldkist (Ongelijke liefde) 1589 - 1607

This print, ‘Unequal Lovers,’ was made by an anonymous artist using the intaglio process, where lines are incised into a metal plate, filled with ink, and transferred to paper. Look closely, and you can see the crisp, precise character of these engraved lines. The image itself bluntly presents the power of money. An old woman counts coins onto the table, while a young couple embraces. The woman's purse isn't just a container for currency, it's the key to desire. Consider the labor involved, not just in the scene, but in the making of the print. The engraver has meticulously translated human figures, textiles, and the hard gleam of coinage into a graphic language. The artist’s skill becomes part of the work’s meaning, encoding social commentary within the very lines that define the forms. This reminds us that every artwork, regardless of its subject, is the product of skilled labor and material transformation.