Twee worstelende mannen after 1663

This print of two wrestlers was made by Jan de Bisschop in the Dutch Golden Age using etching, a process that democratized image making. The artist would have covered a copper plate with wax, then scratched the image into it with a fine needle, exposing the metal. Acid would then have been applied, biting into the lines. The deeper the bite, the more ink it would hold. Once the wax was removed, the plate could be inked and printed – a repeatable process. Look closely at the detail, you can appreciate the finely wrought lines, capturing the tension and strain in the men’s bodies, and the dynamism of the struggle. Prints like this were not considered high art, but were crucial to the circulation of ideas and aesthetics. Through the printmaking process, this image could reach a much wider audience than a painting ever could. The etching technique, with its reliance on skilled handwork and chemical processes, bridges the gap between craft and fine art.