Jager en een gezelschap bij een ruïne 1813

Jacob Ernst Marcus created this print of a hunter and company near a ruin using etching, a process that involves biting lines into a metal plate with acid, and then using that plate to transfer an image to paper. Look closely at the materiality of this print; the fineness of the etched lines, the cross-hatching that creates areas of shadow. Think about the labor and the skilled hand that was needed to create the artwork. Etchings like this one were commercial objects, made for sale. Note how this connects with the subject matter: the figures are fashionably dressed, enjoying a leisure activity within view of a ruined building. The hunter is set apart and may be their guide. But even he is well-dressed and relaxed. The whole scene implies a new kind of society, one in which money allows people to play in what was once a feudal landscape. By considering the material and making of this print, along with its social context, we can appreciate how it challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, offering insights into the changing world in which it was created.