Portret van Lorenz Spengler 1776

Meno Haas created this portrait of Lorenz Spengler, using a printmaking technique called etching. The image emerges through a meticulous process. The artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched an image into this coating with a fine needle, exposing the metal beneath. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. The longer it was left in the acid, the deeper and darker the lines would be in the final print. This painstaking process highlights the value placed on skill and labor during this era. The resulting print is a testament to the engraver's skill, and also the sitter’s status, as the etching process was relatively time consuming and therefore costly. This artwork is as much a product of its making as it is a representation of its subject, reminding us of the social context in which art is always created.