Beleg en inname van Deventer, 1591 1649 - 1651

This print depicts the siege and capture of Deventer in 1591, and was likely made shortly thereafter. It’s an etching, meaning that the design was incised into a metal plate, which was then inked and pressed onto paper. The relatively small scale of the print, and its linear style, encourage close inspection. The anonymous printmaker documented the armies surrounding Deventer, but also the town itself and the surrounding landscape. Etchings like this played an important role in communicating information, akin to printed news today. But they were also examples of sophisticated craft. Highly skilled engravers were in demand for their ability to translate images and information into reproducible form. The level of detail achieved here speaks to the etcher’s mastery, and the economic and political importance of their labor. While the names of these artisans are often lost to history, their work offers a window into the past, and the techniques through which we understand it.