Uitleg bij een prent met gezicht op de Hofvijver te Den Haag 1778

Antoine George Eckhardt created this print of the Hofvijver in The Hague around the late 18th century. It's an etching, meaning the artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched the design through it. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed metal, creating recessed lines. This process requires careful control. Eckhardt had to consider factors like the strength of the acid and the duration of the etching. The incised plate was then inked, the surface wiped clean, and pressed onto paper. The pressure would transfer the ink from the recessed lines to the paper. The controlled execution of the etching process allowed for the neat reproduction of information. In this case, Eckhardt's skills are put in the service of documenting and distributing information about the built environment. This print reveals the social and cultural significance of the image as a means of knowledge sharing and documentation, elevating the status of the site it depicts.