Gezicht op het Kruisherenklooster in Hoei 1738 - 1744

This view of the Kruisherenklooster in Hoei was made by an anonymous artist using the intaglio printmaking process. Intaglio refers to a whole family of print techniques, including engraving and etching, which all involve cutting lines into a metal plate. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the incised lines. Dampened paper is then pressed against the plate, transferring the image. The stark black lines against the white paper give a remarkable sense of detail, especially when you consider the labor involved in creating this image. Every single line had to be manually etched. Look closely, and you can see that some areas are more densely worked than others, creating areas of light and shadow. This required a high degree of skill, not unlike the stonemasons who would have built the Kruisherenklooster itself. Considering the sheer amount of work required to produce such a print, it is not surprising that prints like these were seen as valuable assets, despite not being considered 'high art'. These types of images offer us valuable insight into the cultural and social histories of the time. They remind us to expand our understanding of art history, and to challenge the traditional distinctions between high art and craft.