Kop van een man met tulband 1751 - 1816

Reinier Vinkeles made this ‘Head of a Man with a Turban’ using etching, a printmaking technique that democratized image production in the 18th century. The process involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratching an image into this coating with a needle. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal, creating lines. Ink is applied and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper. The real skill is evident in the varying depths and thicknesses of the lines, which create the tonal gradations you see here. An etcher like Vinkeles was essentially a skilled worker in the service of visual communication. So, the next time you look at a print like this, consider the labor and technique that went into it, and how it reflects the burgeoning print industry of the time, with all its implications for the spread of knowledge and visual culture.