Zinneprent op Willem III, na de veldtocht van 1673 en de verovering van Grave in 1674 1674

This print commemorating Willem III, was made by Gerard de Lairesse after the military campaign of 1673. The image is made using the technique of etching, which involves biting lines into a metal plate with acid, then inking and printing. The dense network of lines creates a scene packed with symbolic imagery. Note that the sharp lines of the etching technique lend a crisp precision to the allegory of Willem III's triumph. It's a powerful medium for conveying complex political messages; the result is reproducible and therefore can be widely distributed. Lairesse was unusual for his time because he was also a theorist of art. In his book, *Groot Schilderboek*, he emphasized the importance of classical principles and instruction. Yet in the end, what comes across in this print is his skill as a draftsman, and the way he used that skill to support a political cause. This melding of virtuosity with ideology is one reason why prints were so important in the early modern era.