Ruïne van de Grote Kerk van Bergen op Zoom, 1748

Simon Fokke created this print of the ruined Grote Kerk of Bergen op Zoom in 1748 using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to ‘bite’ into a metal plate. The artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratches an image into it. When dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, leaving an image in intaglio, which is then inked and printed. In this work, the crisp precision of etching beautifully captures the devastated stonework. Etching’s reproducibility made it ideal for circulating images of current events. The print shows the aftermath of the 1747 siege of Bergen op Zoom, a key moment in the War of the Austrian Succession. Yet the print is not just a document. Fokke used skilled labor, not unlike the stonemasons who originally built the church, employing craft to transform tragedy into a poignant image, reminding us that acts of making always carry social and political weight.