Portretbuste van een vrouw met pet 1798 - 1837

This is a portrait bust of a woman with a cap, made by Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar, sometime before 1837, using etching. Look closely, and you’ll see that this isn’t just a drawing. The dense mesh of lines was created by biting into a metal plate with acid. The plate would have been prepared with a waxy ground, then lines scratched through it with a sharp needle. Think of it: each of those marks represents a precise, deliberate gesture. The resulting print has a graphic intensity, and the artist clearly relished the contrast between light and dark. The relatively small size speaks to the means of production at the time; printmaking was an affordable means of reproducing images, making them more widely available. Bagelaar was not just a fine artist; he worked as a surveyor and draughtsman, producing topographical maps. His printmaking practice reflects the wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. By understanding the materials, making process, and social context, we can appreciate the full meaning of this captivating portrait.