Twee vechtende geiten 1698

Anthonie de Winter made this drawing, *Two Fighting Goats*, using pen and ink. Note the way that the goats and herder are defined by densely packed ornamental foliage. The drawing style here would have been perfect for an engraver working in metal – the medium that most determined the style of ornament during this period. The graphic quality of the image would translate so well into the crisp lines of an etched surface. The drawing is likely a design, therefore, intended for serial production in a workshop. If so, this challenges our expectations about originality and authorship. De Winter probably wasn't trying to make a unique artwork but rather contributing to a wider culture of design. That culture relied upon the skilled labor of many hands – from the artist who conceived the idea to the artisans who brought it into being in precious materials. Appreciating the role of craft and design enables us to recognize the many contributions that go into creating such objects.