Travellers on the Highway n.d.

Anthonie Waterloo created Travellers on the Highway using etching, a printmaking technique dependent on the division of labor. The artist would have coated a copper plate with wax, then scratched an image into the wax with a fine needle. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed metal creating an image in the plate. The application of the ground, the scratching of the image, the timing in the acid bath – all required careful judgement and skill. Ink was then applied to the plate, and meticulously wiped away from the surface, remaining only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate was pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The result is a scene imbued with detail and texture. The etched line captures the subtle variations in light and shadow, as well as the rough texture of the landscape, from the dense foliage to the distant architecture. The etching process itself, a blend of craft and chemical precision, mirrors the work’s balance between naturalism and artistic intervention. Ultimately, recognizing the artist's labor helps us appreciate the full depth of the image.