Het huishouden van Jan Steen 1828 - 1853

This print, *Het huishouden van Jan Steen*, was created by Broese & Comp. using etching, a commercial process allowing for the relatively quick and easy reproduction of images. Each of the twelve vignettes in the print depicts a different scene from the life of Jan Steen, a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his genre scenes of everyday life. The scenes are etched into a metal plate, likely copper, using acid to create recessed lines that hold ink. The printmaker then presses paper against the inked plate, transferring the image. The print, with its multiple scenes and captions, reflects a growing market for accessible imagery. Broese & Comp. was a commercial printer and bookseller, catering to a broad audience hungry for entertainment and information. This mode of production underscores a shift towards mass culture, where art becomes a commodity circulated widely, rather than a unique object.