Gezicht op Nieuwersluis 1786 - 1792

Carel Frederik Bendorp created this view of Nieuwersluis sometime in the late 18th century, using etching and possibly engraving on paper. The effect is a silvery tonality overall. Look closely and you’ll see that the varying shades of grey are built up from tiny parallel lines. This effect is achieved by drawing through a waxy ground on the metal plate, biting it with acid, and then printing the image. It’s an indirect process, mediated by skilled labor, and capable of reproducing images in multiples. In Bendorp’s time, printed images had become a key means of communicating information, standardizing taste, and also creating an illusion of access to far-flung places. This seemingly simple image, therefore, speaks to a wider transformation of European society, and is a reminder that even the most unassuming work of art can reflect larger historical forces. The industrialization of image making is a story that’s still unfolding today, perhaps even more intensely than ever before.