Kudde schapen, geit, rund en paard 1708 - 1767

This print of resting animals was created by Johann Elias Ridinger using etching and engraving. The processes of etching and engraving give the image its defining lines. An engraver uses a tool called a burin to directly carve lines into a metal plate. An etcher covers the plate in wax, scratches an image into the wax, and then dips the plate in acid, which bites away at the exposed metal to create the image. The plate is then inked and printed. Here, the sharp, definitive quality of the line gives the image a sense of clarity. Note the subtle gradations of tone, achieved by hatching and cross-hatching. The original drawing would have demanded meticulous observation and technical skill. But in its final printed form, the image could be reproduced endlessly. The result democratized the image, making it available to a wide audience, and a global marketplace. This kind of printmaking was therefore essential to the development of modern visual culture. By attending to its means of production, we can appreciate the print’s impact on society.