Singers at the Window 1610 - 1685

Adriaen van Ostade made this print, Singers at the Window, using etching. The etching process is fascinating because it relies on the corrosive action of acid to create lines in a metal plate, in this case most likely copper. Van Ostade would have coated the plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched his design into it with a needle. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves that would hold ink. This indirect method, where the hand never directly carves the image, lends itself to a kind of atmospheric density, evident in the print's tonal range, from deep blacks to soft grays. The very act of etching is alchemical, a process of controlled decay that mirrors the scene itself – a glimpse into a world of nighttime revelry and ordinary people. In its time, etching was a relatively accessible medium, allowing for the wider distribution of images and ideas. So in a way, the print embodies the spirit of its subject matter: an intimate moment, made public through the magic of making.