Man onderwerpt een harpij 1663

This print, ‘Man onderwerpt een harpij,’ was made by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli in the 17th century, using the intaglio process of etching. An etching such as this one involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance known as a 'ground'. The artist then scratches an image into the ground, exposing the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, this etches lines into the metal where it has been exposed. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Consider the social context of printmaking at this time. Intaglio prints like this were relatively quick to produce and allowed for the wide dissemination of images and ideas. In this case, the image itself shows a muscular man dominating a harpy – a mythological creature, part woman and part bird – which invites speculation about power, labor, and the social order of the time. By understanding both the materials used and the making process, we can appreciate how Mitelli’s print exists at the intersection of craft and fine art.