Landschap met wandelaars bij bron 1613 - 1695

Nicolas Perelle made this landscape with hikers by a well sometime in the late 17th century using etching. Etching is an indirect process, and we see in this print the effects of his technique, and the contrast between the delicate lines against the blank surface. The controlled lines come from the careful, skilled hand, but also from the corrosive powers of acid. The etcher covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant layer, then scratches through it with a pointed tool. When the plate is bathed in acid, the exposed lines are bitten into the metal. The etcher then applies ink to the plate, wipes the surface clean, and presses paper against it. What we see is a collaboration between human skill, and material process, and the effects of the acid, not to mention the paper that has received the image. Without all these elements, this image would not be visible. Prints like this had an important social function, allowing images to be disseminated to a wide audience, and popularizing particular aesthetic tastes. It highlights the often overlooked collaboration between artistic intention, material agency, and social context.