Titelpagina voor: Pietro Battista Borgo, De Dominio in Mari Ligustico Libri II. Rome, 1641 1641

This is Cornelis Bloemaert’s title page for Pietro Battista Borgo’s book about Ligurian sea dominance, made in Rome in 1641. It's an etching, meaning that Bloemaert would have coated a metal plate with wax, drawn his design through it, and then submerged the plate in acid, which bit away the exposed lines. Look closely, and you can see how the varying depths of the lines create different shades of gray. The whole image relies on the contrast between these lines and the blank paper. The process, with its reliance on precise application and chemical reaction, is quite different from painting or drawing. Etchings like this one were commercial products, relatively quick to make and easy to reproduce. They democratized images, making them available to a wider audience than ever before. Bloemaert’s skill was in translating grand allegorical themes – maritime power, putti, and so on – into this accessible, reproducible form. It’s a great example of how printmaking brought artistry into the sphere of early capitalism.