Dees beesten die gy hier ziet / Die eeten of drinken niet 1787 - 1822

This print was made by Jan Hendrik de Lange in the Netherlands, sometime before 1822. Using a technique called woodcut, de Lange carved an image into a block of wood, inked its surface, and then pressed it onto paper. Notice how the graphic quality of the print arises directly from the nature of the wood. The linear marks are quite crude and blocky, and this gives the animals depicted a powerful, elemental presence. The process is inherently reproducible, making it ideal for mass production. This print, like many others of its kind, would have been relatively inexpensive, aimed at a broad audience. It reflects the rise of print culture and an emerging market for accessible imagery. This wasn’t high art, but it did circulate widely. The labor involved in producing such prints was considerable, and the final product is evidence of the printing industry’s growth during this period, as images were produced in multiples, to be consumed by the masses.