Paar in een vensteropening 1723 - 1789

Jacob Hoolaart created this print, ‘Couple in a Window’, using etching and possibly some engraving. These are essentially reproductive media. The artist incises an image into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The tonal range of the print results from labor intensive work with fine tools. A sharp needle is used to draw through a waxy ground, exposing the metal. Acid bites into these lines. This creates grooves that hold ink, which when printed onto paper creates the image you see. The final print is evidence of the labor and skill it took to create the printing plate. The image feels so intimate, as though we have stumbled across a moment of shared affection. But don't forget, it was created through a decidedly indirect process. Hoolaart didn't just capture the image; he manufactured it, allowing it to be reproduced many times over. In this way, the print offers a glimpse into the social life of 18th-century Netherlands, where images could circulate and be consumed.