Trommeslageren 1595

This print, titled "Trommeslageren," was made by an anonymous artist using the intaglio process of etching. The image is defined by the matrix of finely incised lines. A close look reveals the many steps involved. A metal plate was coated with a waxy ground, the image drawn into it with a sharp needle, and then acid was applied, biting the exposed metal. This process of immersion, and the length of time it took, is critical. The longer the plate sat in the acid, the deeper and darker the lines would be. The act of printing itself would also require a practiced hand, carefully inking the plate, wiping away the excess, and then running it through a press with dampened paper. The end result captures a highly developed set of skills. The cultural significance lies in the print's role as a tool for disseminating information. It also collapses any hard distinction between "fine art" and the more workaday world of labor.