Engel waarschuwt Jozef naar Egypte te vluchten 1626 - 1657

Sebastien Bourdon made this etching, “An angel warns Joseph to flee to Egypt,” sometime in the mid-17th century. Etching is an intaglio printmaking process, meaning the image is incised into a metal plate, usually copper or zinc. The plate is covered with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and the artist scratches the design into this coating, exposing the metal. Next, the plate is dipped in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The longer the plate remains in the acid, the deeper the lines become, allowing for a wide range of tonal variation. Once the etching process is complete, the plate is inked, and the surface is wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched grooves. Damp paper is then pressed against the plate, transferring the ink to create the print. The resulting image is characterized by its fine, detailed lines and delicate shading, a direct result of the precise and controlled etching process. The relatively low cost of the medium meant that prints like this could be widely circulated, bringing art to a broader public.