Gezicht op de buitenplaats Middelvaart, bij Baambrugge 1730

Abraham Rademaker made this print of Middelvaart, near Baambrugge, using etching. It’s a process that democratized image-making in the early modern period. Rademaker would have coated a copper plate with wax, then scratched his composition into it with a needle, exposing the metal. Immersing the plate in acid then bit away the lines, allowing them to hold ink. When pressed to paper, a reversed image appears. Here, the crisp lines and controlled textures create a convincing sense of depth and light. The estate Middelvaart appears solid and serene, a testament to the owner’s wealth, while the detailed rendering of figures and the landscape highlight the property’s integration into the surrounding community. Although printmaking might seem like a purely commercial process, this piece and others like it helped to define the Dutch landscape for a wide audience, shaping a shared sense of place and identity. And of course, an etching like this is also a product of labor, both Rademaker’s and the many others involved in the printing and distribution of his work. It’s a perfect example of how art, even in its most seemingly straightforward form, is deeply intertwined with social and economic forces.