Springen van de Haagse Kaper de Dappere Patriot, 1781 1780 - 1795

This print, made by Reinier Vinkeles around 1781, is a small etching on paper, depicting the destruction of a ship. Etching is an indirect process. First the artist applies a waxy ground to a metal plate, then draws an image through it with a sharp needle. When the plate is immersed in acid, the drawn lines are "bitten" into the metal. Finally, the plate is inked and wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. When pressed against paper, the image is transferred. This print probably wasn't made by Vinkeles himself; printmaking was collaborative work. It was a medium perfectly suited to circulating political messages. Here, the process is tied to social issues of labor, politics and consumption. The relatively quick, reproducible medium of etching, combined with the dramatic image, suggests a deliberate effort to sway public opinion. The print serves as a reminder that even seemingly simple artworks can be deeply embedded in their historical and social context.