Belegering van een stad 1720

This print, Belegering van een stad, or "Siege of a City" was made around 1720 by Bernard Picart. It is a detailed image made using the printmaking technique of etching. The effect relies on a division of labor. First, the etcher covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, then uses a needle to draw an image, exposing the metal. The plate is then bathed in acid, which bites into the drawn lines. The longer the acid bath, the deeper the lines and the more ink they hold. When printed, these lines create the image. It’s an indirect process with specialized skill. Prints like these had a clear place in a burgeoning media landscape, informing people about current events. In this case, we see both the weapons of war, carefully composed above the scene, and the economic engine that drove the conflict: the city under siege. So, next time you look at a print, remember the collaborative nature of its making, and how it reflects the complex interplay of art, technology, and society.