Twee bebaarde mannen, van wie er één zijn hoofd met zijn hand ondersteunt 1876 - 1908

This etching, Two Bearded Men, was made by Martinus van Regteren Altena, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. The printmaking process holds the key to understanding this artwork. Altena would have started by covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant coating. He then used a sharp needle to scratch away the coating, exposing the metal beneath. When dipped in acid, the exposed lines would be etched into the plate. This painstaking process demands a high level of skill. The resulting print has a delicate, almost fragile quality. Look closely at the lines, their fineness and precision reveal the artist's touch, while the varying depths of the etched lines create a subtle sense of light and shadow. Prints like this one democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience beyond wealthy patrons. Altena's mastery of the etching process elevates it from a mere reproduction technique to a powerful art form. By focusing on process and materiality, we can appreciate how the making informs the meaning of the work.