Vlechtwerk met scènes goudsmid c. 1720 - 1730

This print, "Vlechtwerk met scènes goudsmid," was made anonymously, showcasing designs for goldsmiths. The technique is etching, a printmaking process involving biting lines into a metal plate with acid, which is then inked and printed. The image gives us insight into the labor of luxury. The ornate borders depict the goldsmith’s workshop, a space of specialized skills and intense labor. The designs themselves, a cup and a footed dish, speak to a culture of conspicuous consumption. The print, then, serves as both advertisement and instruction, mediating between the artistry of the goldsmith and the desires of a wealthy clientele. Consider the amount of labor represented here: the mining and refining of precious metals, the skilled handwork of shaping and decorating them, and the intellectual labor of design, all captured through the reproducible medium of print. By understanding the full chain of production, we recognize the social relations embedded in even the most precious objects.