Sleeping Girl with Needlework in her Lap 1645 - 1726

Gerard Valck created this mezzotint, titled *Sleeping Girl with Needlework in her Lap*. Valck worked in the printmaking medium of mezzotint, which involves roughening the entire plate with a tool called a rocker, and then smoothing areas to create an image. Here, the contrast between light and shadow, so characteristic of mezzotint, focuses our attention on the sleeping girl and her surroundings. Look closely, and you'll notice the tools of her trade: needle, thread, and scissors, laid out next to a candle that continues to burn as she sleeps. The work itself is front and center. The image reminds us that handwork, although often romanticized, is also physically demanding, and was often performed in poor lighting. The sitter may have simply dropped off due to exhaustion. But Valck’s mastery of mezzotint serves to remind us that all forms of making require time, skill, and a great deal of labor.