Stadsgezicht met fontein in Weimar c. 1875 - 1940

Octavia Cornelia Suzanna Hofstede de Groot made this city view with a fountain in Weimar using the intaglio printmaking technique of etching. To create this print, de Groot likely coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. Then, using a sharp needle, she scratched an image into the coating, exposing the metal beneath. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink was applied to the plate, filling these grooves, and the surface was wiped clean. Finally, the plate and paper were pressed together, transferring the ink and image onto the page. The resulting print has a delicate, linear quality, well-suited to capturing the architecture of Weimar. Each line represents a deliberate act, and the overall image speaks to the patience and skill required to produce such a work. Hofstede de Groot invites us to consider the labor involved in image-making, at a time when these processes were being challenged and changed by industrialisation.