Vertrek voor de jacht op vogels before 1756

This print, Departure for the Bird Hunt, was made by Jean Moyreau using etching, a printmaking technique that allows for incredible detail. The linear quality of etching allows the artist to build up a complex composition, in this case a grand hunting party readying to depart into the Italian countryside. By looking closely at the print, one can appreciate how the artist used a metal tool to create lines on a wax-coated metal plate, which was then submerged in acid. The acid bit into the metal where the lines were drawn, creating grooves that would hold ink. We see the lines of this print as a choreography of labor and class. Etching was labor-intensive, involving physical work and chemical processes, yet was also seen as a refined technique appreciated by wealthy patrons. This tension reflects how the print depicts the leisure activities of the aristocracy supported by the labor of the working classes. Looking closely at the making and context of this print helps us understand art history is not only about aesthetics or who made what but about social and economic realities.