Portret van een zwarte jonge vrouw met hoofdkapje 1645

Wenceslaus Hollar created this print, "Portrait of a Black Young Woman with Head Covering," in 1645. Look closely, and you'll see it's an etching, made by drawing into a wax ground on a metal plate, then bathing it in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, which are then inked and printed. It's a meticulous, labour-intensive process. Hollar was a master of capturing textures – see how he renders the woman's hair and the crisp fabric of her head covering. The social context here is crucial: Hollar made this image at a time when Europeans’ understanding and representation of non-Europeans was rapidly changing. The print is a reminder of the labour, the politics, and the human stories behind the expansion of trade and empire. By focusing on the materials and making of this print, we get a richer sense of its historical significance and its place within broader issues of labor, politics, and representation.