Portret van Gerard Dou 1851

Jacobus Ludovicus Cornet made this portrait of Gerard Dou using etching, a printmaking technique, sometime before 1882. To make an etching, the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratches an image into that coating, exposing the metal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The plate is inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, damp paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the image. Look closely, and you’ll see how the density of etched lines describes tone and shadow. Consider the labor involved in creating this image. Each line painstakingly drawn, each print carefully made. In its time, printmaking democratized image production, making art more accessible. So next time you see an etching, remember the skilled hand and the transformative potential of this graphic medium.