Gezicht op een ravijn in Stiermarken met twee vissers 1818

Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar created this print, ‘View of a ravine in Styria with two fishermen’, using etching—a method of printmaking that relies on the corrosive properties of acid. The process begins with a metal plate, coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist scratches through this ground, exposing the metal beneath. When immersed in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. These are then inked, and the image transferred to paper under pressure. Look closely, and you can discern the character of the etched line—thin, precise, and capable of capturing fine detail. Bagelaar uses this to great effect, rendering the rugged texture of the rocks and foliage. The print medium, with its capacity for reproducibility, democratizes the experience of viewing this dramatic landscape. While a painted landscape might remain in a private collection, prints like this brought such scenes into the homes of a wider audience, shaping perceptions of nature. So, considering the material processes at work here gives us insight into the democratization of art and culture in Bagelaar's time.