Dwaze wereld verkiest het tijdelijke goed 1575 - 1581

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert made this engraving, "Dwaze wereld verkiest het tijdelijke goed," using metal, a burin, and acid. These aren't traditional "art" materials, like paint and canvas, but ones of production and reproduction, like the printing press itself. Look closely and you'll see a wealth of detail rendered through a network of finely incised lines. The character of the engraving lies in the way these lines capture light and shadow. The printmaking process allowed Coornhert to disseminate his moralizing message widely and cheaply. Here, the detailed figures, landscapes, and text were made to be distributed to a mass audience. Printmaking enabled the mass communication of ideas in early modern Europe, mirroring our own digital age. This work blurs the line between art and craft, pointing to the wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. Considering the materials, making, and context is essential to understanding this engraving's full meaning, which challenges the traditional boundaries of art.