Plan and view of the siege of Arras: lower part of the plate with a topographical view with troops in the foreground descending a hill, upper part of the plate with a view of the town 1641

Stefano della Bella made this print of the siege of Arras using etching, a meticulous intaglio process. The artist would have coated a metal plate with wax, drawn the design with a sharp needle, and then bathed the plate in acid. This bites into the exposed lines, allowing them to hold ink. Here, the etcher's line is used to create an impression of deep space. See how he creates an entire vista with armies on the move, all with a finely calibrated sense of recession? Look at the amount of labor involved, not only in the depicted military campaign, but in the making of the print itself. This was an age of expanding empires, and printed images like this one were essential to communicating their power. This print, and others like it, are a reminder that making is never just about materials and techniques; it's about power, politics, and the stories we tell ourselves about history.