Droom van Argillano 1804

Damiano Pernati made this etching, Droom van Argillano, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. The entire image is created with very fine lines incised into a metal plate. The etched line is ideal for replicating elaborate, detailed images like this one, as it allows for a high degree of precision. The process begins with coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. The artist then scratches away at the ground with a sharp needle, exposing the metal beneath. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are etched into the surface. The deeper the lines are etched, the more ink they will hold, and the darker they will appear in the print. Here, Pernati coaxes a whole world into being through a kind of controlled labor. The even, regular character of the lines speaks to the etcher's careful workmanship. There is no way to rush the process; the image emerges dot by dot, line by line. By understanding this connection between hand, tool, and material, we gain insight into both the image and the social context of its creation.