Titelpagina voor de Hollandsche Mercurius over het jaar 1674 1675

This is Romeyn de Hooghe's title page for the Hollandsche Mercurius of 1674, made using etching. This printmaking technique involves coating a metal plate with a waxy ground, drawing through it with a needle, and then immersing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, which are then inked and printed. The fineness of the lines gives the image a crisp, detailed quality, ideal for the dissemination of information – which, of course, is exactly what a Mercurius, or news annual, is for. Look closely, and you'll see just how much information is packed in: allegorical figures, landscapes, and cityscapes, all rendered with incredible precision. Consider, though, the labor involved. Each line meticulously etched, each plate carefully inked and printed, representing hours of skilled work. In its way, this title page bears witness to the rise of the print industry in the Dutch Golden Age, where skilled makers met a voracious public appetite for news and knowledge. The print straddles the world of craft and the world of information.