Naakte vrouw en kind bij een oude man 1600 - 1647

This print, Naakte vrouw en kind bij een oude man, was made by Moyses van Wtenbrouck, sometime between 1600 and 1647. It’s an etching, meaning it was made by drawing into a wax ground on a metal plate, then bathing the plate in acid. The lines bitten by the acid hold ink, which is then transferred to paper. The entire image relies on line work, dense hatching that models the figures and sets them within an architectural setting. This technique would have required careful craftsmanship. The quality of the etched lines speaks to Wtenbrouck's skills as a draughtsman, and also the amount of labor involved in the production process. As the images could be reproduced endlessly, prints like these helped disseminate visual ideas in the 17th century. This artwork is a reminder that even seemingly simple techniques can produce incredibly rich and complex results, and that the hand of the artist is always present, even in a process designed for reproduction.