Optocht bij het Tweede Eeuwfeest van de Leidse Hogeschool, 1775 1775

Noach van der Meer II made this print in 1775 to commemorate the second centennial of Leiden University. It’s an etching, meaning that the artist used acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and pressed onto paper. The repetitive, linear nature of the etching process is quite fitting here. Look at the long processions of figures, each rendered with precise, uniform lines. The technique mirrors the social order on display: ranks of professors and students, each in their designated place. It's almost like a factory assembly line, except instead of producing goods, it’s producing knowledge. The print isn't just a record of an event; it’s a statement about the power and order of the university, etched in acid and multiplied for all to see. It reminds us that even artistic techniques can reflect the values and structures of the society that produces them.