Boerenpaar gekleed volgens de Siciliaanse mode 1720 - 1772

This print, “Boerenpaar gekleed volgens de Siciliaanse mode,” was made anonymously, using a technique called etching. In this process, a metal plate is covered with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist scratches an image into this coating, and then bathes the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating incised lines which hold the ink. It's a printmaking process that allows for detailed linework and tonal variations, as you can see. Etchings like this were often produced for a growing market of collectors and enthusiasts. The relatively low cost of producing prints allowed for wider distribution, democratizing art ownership to some extent. But it also meant that artists often relied on the skills of printmakers to reproduce their work, and were often anonymous, as here. This print invites us to consider the social and economic forces at play in the creation and consumption of art. It challenges the traditional hierarchy between "high" art and more commercial forms of production.