Interieur van de Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk te Rotterdam, gezien in de richting van het orgel 1758

This print, 'Interior of the Great or St. Lawrence Church in Rotterdam', was made by Jan Punt in the 18th century. It's an etching, meaning the image was created by using acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. Look closely, and you'll notice the incredible detail and precision, achieved through a painstaking process of layering lines to create tone and texture. The very act of etching is laborious, demanding patience and skill. Punt's mastery of the technique allows us to experience the vastness and architectural complexity of the church. There's a direct relationship between the labor involved in the production of this print and the social context in which it was made. Prints like these were relatively affordable and widely distributed, bringing images of important buildings to a broader audience beyond those who could visit them in person. By appreciating the artistry and labor embedded in this print, we challenge the traditional hierarchy that often separates fine art from craft, and understand the wider social and economic conditions of artistic production.