Venus en Cupido 1627 - 1678

Jan Thomas made this print, Venus en Cupido, sometime in the 17th century. It's an etching, meaning that the artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy ground, drawn his image into the ground with a needle, and then bathed the plate in acid. The acid bites into the metal where it is exposed, creating recessed lines that hold ink. The resulting print is a delicate interplay of line and tone. Notice how the density of the etched lines creates a sense of shadow and volume. The contrast between the dark, deeply bitten lines and the lighter, more subtly etched areas gives the image depth and texture. Prints like this one were relatively inexpensive, compared to paintings or sculptures. That meant that they could circulate widely, carrying artistic ideas across geographic and social boundaries. Etching was a skilled craft, but it was also a means of democratizing images, making them accessible to a broader public. In that sense, it's a reminder that the means of production always influence what art can be, and who gets to see it.