Gezicht op het Palazzo Mattei, te Rome after 1760

This view of the Palazzo Mattei in Rome was made anonymously using an etching technique. The artist would have covered a copper plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched an image into it with a needle, exposing the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. This process determined the depth and darkness of the lines in the final print. After removing the ground, the plate was inked, wiped clean, and pressed against a sheet of paper, transferring the image. Notice how the artist uses varying line weights to create depth, and how the hatching and cross-hatching build up to suggest shadows. The print medium allowed for the easy reproduction and distribution of images, reflecting an early stage of mass media and the commodification of views of famous places. While not a unique artwork, it demonstrates skilled labor and technical knowledge employed within a developing visual economy.