Twee figuren voor een poort 1675

This print, "Two Figures Before a Gate" was made by Gerard de Lairesse in the late 17th century. It is an etching: a copper plate covered with wax, through which the artist scratched lines, before bathing the plate in acid. This process bites into the metal, leaving grooves that hold ink, creating a mirror-image of the design when printed. The print's distinct linear quality results directly from this process. Look closely at the architecture of the gate itself, topped with cannons – likely a reference to the Dutch Republic's military strength. Then there are the figures in the foreground, each rendered with careful cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and shadow. One carries a spade; the other, a shield. It's interesting to consider the labor that went into this image: both the physical work of the figures represented, and the highly skilled, painstaking work of the printmaker. In this way, the image invites us to consider the full range of making, and the social context in which it all takes place.