Vrouw met vlinder bij een vijver met twee zwanen 1894

Jan Toorop made this print, ‘Woman with butterfly by a pond with two swans,’ using the technique of etching. A metal plate, likely copper, was coated with a waxy, acid-resistant material. Toorop then scratched an image into this coating, exposing the metal underneath. When the plate was dipped in acid, the exposed lines were ‘bitten’ or etched, creating grooves. Ink was then applied to the plate, filling only the etched lines. The surface was wiped clean, and finally, the image was transferred to paper under great pressure using a printing press. Notice the intricate linework and the subtle tonal variations achieved through careful control of the etching process. Although seemingly simple, the image required immense skill and labor. Toorop likely trained for years to master these techniques. The result is an image that invites quiet contemplation, placing craft and the handmade firmly at the heart of modern visual culture.