Moord te Woerden op S. Levi, 1813 1813 - 1814

This etching by Willem van Senus, made in 1813, depicts the murder of Sara Levi in Woerden. Etching, as a printmaking process, involves using acid to corrode lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and used to create multiple impressions. The choice of etching is significant here. Unlike painting, printmaking is an inherently reproducible medium. This allowed for a wider distribution of the image, turning a specific act of violence into a circulating piece of information. The stark, linear quality of the etching emphasizes the brutality of the scene. The level of detail, though minimal, conveys the chaos and violence of the moment. Consider the labor involved: the careful drawing, the acid etching, the printing process itself, and the distribution of the final product. This was not simply an artistic creation, but a form of visual journalism, designed to inform and perhaps inflame public opinion. It underscores the power of reproducible media in shaping social consciousness.