Cartouche met kwabornament, bovenaan twee engeltjes 1655

Pieter Hendricksz. Schut created this ornamental cartouche sometime in the mid-17th century using etching. This is an intaglio printmaking technique, where the artist uses acid to cut lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The bold, swirling forms owe a debt to auricular style, popular at the time. It mimicked the shapes of the ear and other bodily forms. Look closely, and you can see fleshy lobes and shell-like curves. The etcher’s line renders these in stark black and white, giving a sense of depth. The cherubic figures at the top soften the image, contrasting with the somewhat grotesque features of the broader frame. Prints like these were made for dissemination. This one would have been used by other artisans – perhaps wood carvers or silversmiths – looking for inspiration. This reminds us that while we might see craft and art as different categories today, they were once much more closely linked by the circulation of design ideas.