Gezicht op het dorp Westergeest en dorpsgezicht te Kollum 1786 - 1792

Carel Frederik Bendorp created this print of Westergeest and Kollum. The print was made using an etching technique, where the artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, drawn their composition, and then bathed the plate in acid. The acid would have bitten into the metal where the drawing was, leaving behind incised lines. These grooves would then hold the ink, and the image transferred to paper using a printing press. If we look closely, the etched lines vary in thickness, weight, and density. Bendorp would have carefully controlled the depth of the etch, and the amount of ink on the plate, to evoke the pastoral scenes. Prints like these, although seemingly simple, are inherently tied to systems of labor and production. This print reflects the skilled traditions of printmaking as well as the development of capitalism. It serves not only as a visual record, but also an example of how material processes reflect and shape the world around us.