Gezicht over Merwede vanaf Riedijk op Groothoofd te Dordrecht 1803

Carel Frederik Bendorp created this print of Dordrecht harbor sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It's made using an engraving process, meaning the artist would have used a tool called a burin to cut lines directly into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. The fineness of the lines speaks to the engraver's skill. Look closely, and you can see how he varied the density of the marks to create a sense of light and shadow, and to articulate the various textures of water, sky, and buildings. Engraving was a commercial medium, used for everything from book illustrations to maps. It allowed for relatively quick reproduction and distribution of images. In this case, Bendorp is offering us not just a pretty picture, but also a glimpse into the thriving economy of a port city, with its bustling maritime activity. The labor of the engraver, and the laborers on those boats, were all part of the same economic engine.