Wie stelt der menschen oefning perk; / Als zij, door kunst en handenwerk (...) after 1829

This print, made by Alexander Cranendoncq, probably in Amsterdam, shows us a world defined by labor. Its lines are etched into the copperplate with acid, a process that is itself laborious and exacting. Each of the twelve scenes shows a different trade, from carpentry and shipbuilding to masonry and metalwork. They are paired with verses, emphasizing the virtue of hard work, from “early morning” until “late at night.” The imagery speaks of the Dutch Republic’s economic engine. We see not just individual craftspeople, but a complex web of trades, all contributing to the overall prosperity. The print itself would have been made as a commercial venture, sold to those who wished to celebrate this industrious culture. What makes this print so compelling is the way it visualizes the social contract. It proposes that diligence is not just a means to an end, but a moral imperative, something that binds society together. It challenges us to consider how labor shapes our world and our values, then and now.