Contouren van Bonn, gezien vanaf de Rijn 1767

Hendrik de Leth made this print of Bonn, seen from the Rhine, using etching and engraving techniques. The image is achieved through careful, precise lines cut into a metal plate. The artist would have used sharp tools to create grooves, which then held ink to transfer the image onto paper. The fineness of the lines allows for a remarkable level of detail, capturing the texture of the water, the clouds, and the rocky hillsides. What’s compelling here is that the printmaking process itself allows for the mass production of images. This reflects the growth of cities, the expansion of trade, and the rise of a merchant class with an interest in seeing and possessing views of distant places. The act of making and distributing such prints speaks to a new kind of economy, one where art becomes a commodity, available to a wider audience. In appreciating this print, we must consider not only the image it presents but also the socio-economic forces that made its creation and distribution possible.