Landschap met boerderij en figuren onder bomen before 1815

This landscape, by Hermanus van Brussel, is an etching on paper. Now, that might sound straightforward, but consider what’s involved. Etching is an indirect process. First, the artist coats a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. Then, using a needle, they scratch away lines to expose the metal beneath. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The plate is inked, the surface wiped clean, and the ink remaining in the grooves is transferred to paper under high pressure, through a printing press. This method allows for incredibly fine detail, visible here in the foliage of the trees and the figures near the farmhouse. It's a labor-intensive process, requiring skill not only in drawing, but also in chemistry and mechanics. Prints like this were relatively affordable at the time, expanding access to art beyond painting for a growing middle class. So, think about this when you look at this etching: it is an artwork deeply embedded in the era’s changing social dynamics and emerging industrial processes.