Avond: herder bij herberg in rots 1660 - 1666

Dancker Danckerts created this print, titled "Avond: herder bij herberg in rots," using etching sometime in the mid-17th century. Etching is an intaglio printmaking technique, where lines are incised into a metal plate using acid. The plate is covered with a waxy substance, through which the artist scratches an image. The exposed metal is then bitten by acid, creating the recessed lines that hold ink. Ink is applied, the surface wiped clean, and then the print is made by pressing paper against the plate. Danckerts was one of a large family of printers and publishers active in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age, which was a period of unprecedented urban expansion and international trade. Looking at the image, consider the relationship between the natural world, the laboring classes, and the consumption of art, as the lines etched into this plate offer a glimpse into the intersections of labor, pastoral life, and the art market in 17th-century Netherlands.