The Trellised Fountain, frontispiece from Paysages Dédiés à M. Warelet 1764

Salomon Gessner made this print, "The Trellised Fountain," using etching—a process where acid bites into a metal plate to create an image. The controlled corrosion of the metal is what gives the print its intricate lines and textures. The process itself is fascinating. Gessner would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched his design into it. The exposed metal would then be submerged in acid, which would eat away at the lines, creating grooves. Ink is then forced into these grooves and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. The print is made when paper is pressed firmly against the plate. Look at how the etched lines give depth to the foliage and the classical figures. Consider, too, how the mechanization of printmaking allowed for the wide dissemination of images, shaping aesthetic tastes and feeding a growing market for art. The final print isn't just an artwork; it's a testament to the fusion of craft, technology, and commerce that defined Gessner's era.