Paneel met het element water 1712

This print, ‘Paneel met het element water,’ was made by Daniël Marot, a French-born designer active around the turn of the 18th century. It’s pure ink on paper, but don't let the traditional materials fool you. Marot wasn’t interested in fine art for its own sake. He was all about decoration. The effect is achieved through the process of etching, where lines are bitten into a metal plate with acid, which is then used to print multiple images. Etching was crucial to the spread of design ideas at this time. The texture is sharp and precise, perfectly suited to capturing the elaborate details of the baroque style. In fact, Marot worked for the king of France, Louis XIV, before being forced to flee the country due to his Protestant faith. He then found employment designing interiors and furniture for the Dutch elite, effectively exporting French taste. The print, therefore, isn't just a pretty picture; it's a document of cultural exchange, and the commercialization of taste, brought about by religious conflict and enabled by the reproductive power of printmaking.