De vrouw van Hasdrubal pleegt zelfmoord 1819

Bartolomeo Pinelli created this etching depicting "The Suicide of Hasdrubal's Wife" sometime before 1835. Etching is an intaglio printmaking process, meaning the image is incised into a metal plate, often copper, using acid. The artist would have covered the plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance called a ground, then scratched away the ground with a needle to expose the metal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The longer the plate stays in the acid, the deeper the lines become, allowing for variations in tone. After the ground is removed, ink is applied to the plate, filling the etched lines. The surface is wiped clean, and the print is made by pressing paper against the plate, transferring the ink. The character of the etched line, with its slightly irregular, hand-drawn quality, lends a sense of immediacy to Pinelli's dramatic scene. This relatively accessible medium allowed for the wide distribution of imagery, bringing historical and mythological subjects to a broader audience. The resulting print is a testament to both Pinelli's skill as a draughtsman and the expressive potential of the etching process.