Gezicht op de kerk en het kasteel te Laken 1850 - 1862

Henri Borremans made this image of the church and castle at Laken with a printmaking technique. The print is a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images involve considerable labor. The artist would have had to create a drawing, then carefully transfer it to a printing plate, probably made of copper. Then, using specialized tools, the design would be incised into the metal, with different kinds of marks to create the illusion of light and shadow. The plate would then be inked, and pressed onto paper. The resulting image has a crisp, precise quality, well suited to the depiction of architecture and landscape. What’s particularly interesting here is the contrast between the intricacy of the buildings and the relatively loose handling of the trees. You can almost feel Borremans varying the pressure on the burin as he worked, balancing fidelity to the scene with a more expressive approach. This combination reminds us that all images are constructed, by an artist, with a distinct sensibility and style.