The three trees after 1643

This image of three trees is an etching, a printmaking process which depends on the controlled corrosion of metal with acid. An anonymous artist would have applied a waxy ground to a copper plate, then scratched an image into it with a fine needle, exposing the metal underneath. When immersed in acid, the exposed lines would be bitten into the plate, creating grooves that hold ink. The longer the plate stays in the acid, the deeper the lines become. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. When pressed against paper, it transfers the image. This process has a fascinating social context; it was relatively inexpensive compared to engraving. The result is a textured image, its appearance dictated by the controlled, corrosive process and the artist's labor. This democratized printmaking, and allowed for wider distribution of images.