Twee engelen met bloemenmand 1630 - 1652

This delicate print, "Two Angels with a Basket of Flowers" was made by Pieter van Avont in the 17th century. It's an etching, a process by which lines are incised into a metal plate with acid, then filled with ink and printed. Consider how the linear quality of the etching shapes the image. Every contour, every shadow, is built up from these tiny etched lines. Notice how the artist uses hatching and cross-hatching to create areas of darker tone, giving the cherubic figures volume and depth. Making an etching demanded careful labour. The 17th century was a time of growing print culture, and works like this show how skilled artisans contributed to the wider economy of image production. Though small in scale, this print represents a significant investment of time and expertise. The artist would have needed to be extremely skilled in metallurgy, and have the precise control needed to carve such intricate details. By understanding the work involved, we can appreciate the value placed on craft and skill in the Dutch Golden Age, and hopefully appreciate that today as well.