Berglandschap met gezicht op een rivier 1636 - 1679

This landscape scene was etched by Frans van den Wijngaerde, a Dutch artist, probably sometime in the mid-17th century. Etching is an indirect printmaking process, one that relies on the controlled corrosion of metal. The artist coats a copper plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then draws through it with a needle. Acid then bites into the exposed lines, which are subsequently inked and printed. The resulting image, like this one, can have a captivating sense of detail. Consider the time and skill involved in the production of this print. The etcher's labor is not just in the drawing, but also in the careful preparation of the plate. This is a skilled tradition with its own aesthetic principles and methods. We should recognize these too, alongside the imagery. Paying attention to materials and processes allows us to understand the artist's labor and the social context in which the work was created, bridging the perceived gap between fine art and craft.