Man telt munten (het Gehoor) - Abraham Bloteling

A fine mezzotint by Dutch master Abraham Bloteling, depicting a man counting coins, representing the sense of hearing.

This mezzotint by Abraham Bloteling, titled 'Man telt munten (het Gehoor)', represents a specific genre of Dutch printmaking that explored the five senses. The subject is a man engaged in the act of counting coins, his expression one of focused amusement or perhaps cunning. Bloteling was a master of the mezzotint technique, a process that allows for subtle gradations of tone and soft transitions between light and shadow. By roughening the copper plate with a rocker, the artist created a surface that holds ink in varying degrees, resulting in the velvety blacks and luminous highlights seen here. The composition focuses on the figure from the waist up, his posture leaning forward to engage with the viewer. The play of light across his face and hands draws attention to the tactile nature of his task. The man wears a wide-brimmed hat and period clothing, typical of the seventeenth-century Dutch style. The inscription 'A f et ex' at the bottom indicates that Bloteling both executed the engraving and published the work himself, a common practice for printmakers of the era who managed their own distribution. This work belongs to a series depicting the senses, with this particular image representing 'Hearing'. The man's tilted head and alert expression suggest he is listening to the sound of the coins as they are counted. The technical precision of the mezzotint process allows for a realistic rendering of texture, from the fabric of the coat to the metallic sheen of the currency. It provides a glimpse into the domestic and social themes popular in Dutch art during the late seventeenth century, where everyday activities were elevated through skilled craftsmanship and careful observation of human character.