Zelfportret van Pieter Jansz. van Asch 1660 - 1693

This etching, "Self-Portrait of Pieter Jansz. van Asch" was made by Jan Verkolje I around the turn of the 18th century. The magic of etching lies in its combination of control and chance. First, the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, then draws through it with a needle to expose the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the lines are eaten away, creating grooves. Ink is then forced into these grooves, the surface wiped clean, and the image transferred to paper under high pressure. Here, the finely worked lines create a sense of immediacy, as if we’re face-to-face with the sitter. Look closely, and you can see the artist’s hand at work – the careful hatching that builds up tone, the subtle variations in line weight that suggest depth and form. The very act of printing, with its reliance on mechanical reproduction, mirrors the growing commercialism of the art world at the time. This etching, with its blend of skill and process, invites us to consider the artistry inherent in reproduction itself.