Berglandschap met een weg 1633 - 1670

Herman Naiwincx created this “Mountainous Landscape with a Road” using etching, a printmaking technique that involves biting lines into a metal plate with acid, and then inking these lines to transfer the image onto paper. The quality of the etched line lends itself to the subject matter. Look closely, and you can see how Naiwincx used the sharpness of the etched line to create texture and depth in the landscape, particularly in the craggy rocks and dense foliage. The fineness of the etching process allowed him to capture the intricate details of the natural world with remarkable precision. Consider the labor involved in creating this print. Each line had to be carefully drawn with a needle, each impression precisely made. While not as obviously laborious as, say, a hand-woven tapestry, this etching nonetheless speaks to the value that Naiwincx placed on careful, considered mark-making, as well as the importance of printmaking as a means of disseminating artistic ideas in early modern Europe.