1653
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Knifegrinder at Work Outside a Cobbler's Workshop is a 1653 ink by Adriaen van Ostade, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a man sharpening a knife on a spinning wheel outside a cobbler’s shop. The cobbler sits inside, working at his bench, while the grinder leans over his tool, focused on his task. A dog sits nearby, and a few simple buildings and trees fill the background. The artist used fine lines to show texture—like the cobbler’s leather apron or the rough wood of the wheel. This was done with etching and drypoint, a technique that lets ink fill tiny grooves. Next, look up etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how artists create these sharp, detailed prints.
Adriaen van Ostade (baptized as Adriaen Jansz Hendricx 10 December 1610 – buried 2 May 1685) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre works, showing the everyday life of ordinary men and women.
See the richer artist page
