Gevecht tussen Habsburgers en Turken 1684

This print, "Battle between the Habsburgs and the Turks," was made by Romeyn de Hooghe in the late 17th century. It is an etching, a process involving coating a metal plate with wax, scratching an image into the wax, and then bathing the plate in acid. The acid bites away the exposed metal, creating recessed lines that hold ink. The starkness of the print, achieved through the etching process, lends a dramatic quality to the battle scene. The use of line and shadow conveys movement and chaos, reflecting the intensity of the conflict. The work's power lies not only in the image it depicts but in its function as propaganda. Prints were a key means of disseminating information and shaping public opinion in early modern Europe. De Hooghe’s skill in etching allowed him to mass-produce this image, reaching a wide audience and influencing perceptions of the conflict between the Habsburgs and the Turks. This reminds us that the making of art is always embedded in a social and political context.