Nimf met een pijl in de hand 1581 - 1631

This print of a nymph with an arrow in her hand was created by Jacob Matham, using an engraving technique. The image is made by cutting lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then pressing the plate onto paper. Look closely, and you’ll notice the astonishing level of detail that Matham achieved with this method. It is a demanding, repetitive, and highly skilled manual process. To create areas of shadow, Matham would have had to make many tiny, closely spaced lines. Prints like this were part of a burgeoning visual culture in the 17th century. They democratized images, making them available to a wider audience than paintings, and they were a key means of circulating ideas about art and aesthetics. The engraving process itself, with its emphasis on precision and control, became a valued skill in its own right, and this print shows Matham's mastery. Appreciating the labor-intensive process behind this image helps us understand its cultural significance.