Portret van jonker Willem van Bloys gezegd van Treslong 1838 - 1887

Frederik Hendrik Weissenbruch created this portrait of Willem van Bloys van Treslong using etching and engraving. Consider how labor-intensive printmaking is, especially when combining techniques. First, the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant coating. The image is then scratched into this ground, exposing the metal. Acid bites into these lines, creating grooves. Engraving further refines the image, with the artist using a burin to cut lines directly into the metal. The resulting plate is then inked and pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The quality of line, the fineness of detail, all speak to the skill needed to complete this work. It is a world away from a quick sketch, or even a painting. Weissenbruch’s choice of such a demanding medium suggests that he viewed printmaking as more than just a means of reproduction, but as a valuable creative practice in its own right, far from the hierarchical distinctions between fine art and craft.