De mens op negentigjarige leeftijd c. 1725 - 1730

Editor: Here we have Jakob Wangner’s “De mens op negentigjarige leeftijd,” or “The Man at Ninety Years Old,” dating from around 1725 to 1730. It’s an engraving, done with ink on paper. The scene is incredibly detailed; you can practically feel the weight of the years depicted. What do you make of the process behind it? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the labor involved. Consider the skill and time necessary to create this level of detail with engraving. We're seeing not just an image, but the tangible result of hours upon hours of skilled work. Look closely – can you imagine the pressure applied to the tool, the precise movements required? The act of reproducing this image through print also speaks volumes. What do you think it meant to disseminate such an image? Editor: Perhaps it was meant for wider distribution, making it more accessible to a larger audience than a unique painting could. It also could indicate an emergent and increasing market for printed illustrations and artworks for decoration and storytelling purposes, which reflects specific historical contexts! Curator: Precisely! Think about the materials themselves: the ink, the paper. Where did they come from? Who produced them? Were there specific workshops that fed into this production process? It’s important to look beyond just the artistic "genius" and examine the entire chain of creation and consumption. It reflects and affects both the visual and historical weight. Editor: I never considered all those elements! I was so focused on interpreting the scene itself. Thank you; now I’ll look at artworks differently. Curator: That's the key – recognizing that art is always intertwined with the materials, labor, and systems that bring it into being. Hopefully others can see it too.