Rocailles met landschappen 1731 - 1775

These six rocaille designs with landscapes were conceived by Emanuel Eichel, an 18th-century German artist, and printed using an etching technique. The etching process begins with a metal plate covered in a waxy ground. The artist then scratches an image into the ground with a needle, exposing the metal. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are bitten, creating grooves. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling these grooves, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Here, the precision and intricacy of etching perfectly capture the ornate, asymmetrical forms of the rocaille style, fashionable in the decorative arts of the time. Each design features a fantastical, shell-like framework framing miniature landscapes. This print wasn't intended as a finished work of art but as a template, a pattern for skilled craftsmen to translate into three-dimensional objects. It serves as a reminder that the aesthetics of craft and design are built upon a foundation of technical skill and labor.