Bergachtig landschap 1778 - 1838

This print, 'Bergachtig landschap', was made by Anthonie van den Bos using etching, a printmaking technique with a rich history. The process begins with a metal plate, usually copper, coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist then draws through this coating, exposing the metal. When the plate is immersed in acid, the drawn lines are ‘etched’ into the surface. The longer the plate is exposed to acid, the deeper the lines. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling the etched lines. The surface is wiped clean, and the image is transferred to paper under high pressure in a printing press. The resulting image is characterized by a fine, linear quality, which you can see in the delicate rendering of the foliage and mountains. What’s interesting here is the way that a highly industrialized process is used to depict nature. This speaks to the changing relationship between humanity and the environment at the time, as well as the rising importance of printmaking in visualizing and distributing images of the world. Etchings like this one made art more accessible to a wider audience, challenging traditional hierarchies of artistic production.