Gezicht op het kapucijnenklooster te Tervuren 1727 - 1734

This detailed view of the Capuchin monastery in Tervuren was created by an anonymous artist using etching. The printmaking process required considerable skill and labor, from preparing the metal plate to applying the acid that bites the design into the surface. We can see how the etched lines influence the overall appearance, defining the forms and textures of the buildings, gardens, and distant landscape. The precise, repetitive strokes give a sense of order and control, mirroring the monastic life within. But the choice of printmaking also speaks to wider social issues. Inexpensive and reproducible, prints like these circulated widely, bringing images of religious institutions to a broad audience. The act of making this artwork is therefore intrinsically tied to the social, political and religious context of its time.