Kinderen met muizenval 1826 - 1886

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter created this print, "Kinderen met muizenval" – or “Children with Mousetrap” – using etching and engraving techniques. The image is made through skilled manipulation of metal plates, acid, and ink. Lines are incised into a metal plate, acid-etched to deepen them, and then filled with ink. The plate is pressed onto paper to transfer the image, resulting in the detailed scene we see. The success of a print like this hinges on the engraver's understanding of materials and the meticulous control of their tools. Interestingly, prints like this were often made as reproductions of paintings – in this case, one by the 17th-century artist, Dominicus van Tol. That tells us something about the value placed on manual skills at the time. On one hand, the painter was highly regarded. Yet on the other, the printer who could translate a unique image into a reproducible form, making it available to a wider audience, was also highly esteemed. Thinking about how things are made helps us appreciate the social and cultural significance of the artwork.