Landschap met een fontein, monument en mensen 1684

Etienne Baudet made this landscape print, with its fountain, monument, and figures, sometime between 1638 and 1711, using the technique of engraving. The crisp lines of the image are achieved by cutting directly into a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin. This is an intensive, skilled process, demanding complete control. The engraver would have pushed the burin through the polished surface, creating clean, precise lines. The depth and spacing of these marks determine the tones and textures we see – from the dense foliage of the trees to the smooth surfaces of the classical architecture. Prints like this one allowed for the widespread dissemination of images, functioning as a kind of early photography. They also reflect a social hierarchy: the wealthy landowners depicted would have been Baudet’s patrons, their estates celebrated and shared through this reproducible medium. So, while the image portrays leisure and beauty, it also speaks to the labor and class dynamics of the time.