Gezicht op de Witte Poort te Leiden 1786 - 1792

Carel Frederik Bendorp made this print of the Witte Poort in Leiden. As an etching, this work is all about process and precise control. Consider the labor involved: the artist would have carefully coated a metal plate with wax, then used a needle-like tool to scratch away the areas to be inked. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed metal. This painstaking method created the fine lines and intricate details we see here. The architecture and landscape are carefully defined, with a sharp contrast between light and shadow, created by a dense network of lines and cross-hatching. Etchings like this one were relatively inexpensive to produce, making them accessible to a broad audience. Prints like this helped to shape popular perceptions of the Dutch landscape, turning the local into something worth consuming. Thinking about process helps us to understand the social context, reminding us that printmaking played an important role in the development of both art and commerce.