Gezicht op de Oude Lutherse Kerk te Amsterdam 1664

This print of the Oude Lutherse Kerk in Amsterdam, was made by Jan Veenhuysen, likely in the mid-17th century. It is an etching, a process that involves drawing an image into a wax-covered metal plate, then submerging it in acid. The acid bites away the exposed lines, which are then inked and printed. The method is direct, almost like drawing, which gave printmakers a freedom not available to the earlier engravers. It allowed for more tonal variation too. See, for instance, the way that Veenhuysen suggests the bulk of the clouds, and also creates a feeling of recession through the use of finely-hatched lines. The print is modest in size. Prints like this would have been relatively inexpensive, and easy to circulate. That portability gave them a distinct social role. In their capacity to reproduce images widely, prints democratized culture. They allowed ordinary people access to views of architecture and cityscapes, and, in turn, helped them understand the world around them.