Landschap met figuren en muilezels 1666 - 1695

Jean Pesne made this landscape with figures and mules in the 17th century using etching, a printmaking technique. This process involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratching an image into the wax. The plate is then bathed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal, creating lines. The material qualities of metal and acid are essential to the artwork. The incised lines, made through labor and chemical reaction, define the scene’s dramatic landscape and the figures laboring within it. The etched lines vary in thickness and density, creating shading and texture that give depth to the mountains and foliage. We see the mules, heavily laden, struggling up the slope. This imagery, while picturesque, reminds us of the labor that underpinned early modern society. Pesne’s print invites us to consider the relationship between artistry, labor, and the natural world. It challenges the traditional hierarchy between art and craft, highlighting the skilled handwork involved in printmaking and its connection to broader social and economic contexts.