De verloren zoon neemt afscheid van zijn vader 1616 - 1669

Theodoor van Thulden created this small print of the Prodigal Son, with the use of metal plates to create the image. The technique of etching, deployed here, allowed the image to be reproduced many times over. Look closely, and you can see how the lines vary in thickness, from thin strokes describing the delicate features of the faces, to darker lines used to define the architectural forms. The image would have been created by coating a metal plate with wax, and then drawing into that wax with a sharp stylus. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed metal. This process of production is a critical element of the artwork, and it meant that images could be disseminated widely, connecting the artist’s vision to a broad and growing audience. This commercialization speaks to a culture in which images could be created for mass consumption, making it an emblem of our own, thoroughly mediated world.