Interieur met doedelzak- en vioolspeler en twee zangers 1629 - 1670

Jacques Dassonville made this etching of musicians in the 17th century, using acid to bite lines into a copper plate. The plate was then inked and pressed against paper to create the print. Here, the controlled mark-making of etching renders a lively scene of communal festivity, with the emphasis on the labor of music-making. Notice the bagpiper, his cheeks puffed as he provides the drone for the ensemble. Consider also the labor that is implied - everyone in this crowded room is either playing, singing, or simply enjoying the performance. In the social context of the 17th century Netherlands, making music in an interior might represent a brief respite from the demanding labour of everyday life. By appreciating the materials and techniques Dassonville used, and by observing the details of labour and leisure he depicts, we recognize this etching not just as an image, but as a document of its time.