Gezicht op Eminga (Drinkuitsma) State te Goutum 1786 - 1792

Carel Frederik Bendorp created this etching, "Gezicht op Eminga (Drinkuitsma) State te Goutum," using the intaglio printmaking technique. The artist would have covered a copper plate with an acid-resistant wax, then scratched an image into it with a fine needle. The plate would then be submerged in acid, which bites away the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink is then forced into these grooves, and the plate is pressed against paper. The etching technique allows for detailed linework, which can be seen in the architecture, trees, and figures in the foreground. In Bendorp’s time, printmaking was a very powerful method of mass production, helping to create a shared visual culture. As a result, the etching would have provided wider audiences with access to imagery of this particular estate. Etchings like this, therefore, are examples of how fine art and craft intersect, reflecting evolving social and cultural values of labour, class, and consumption.