Windvlaag waait langs bomen en een stenen brug met figuren en dieren 1762 - 1829

Jean Louis Demarne created this landscape scene using etching, a printmaking technique that’s all about controlled corrosion. The process begins with a metal plate, usually copper, coated with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. The artist then draws through this ground with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are ‘bitten,’ creating grooves. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling these etched lines. The surface is wiped clean, and the image is transferred to paper under high pressure. Here, the etched lines define the form of trees, the bridge, and the figures, creating a sense of depth and movement. The density of lines varies to create tone, with deeper, darker areas suggesting shadows and volume. The landscape appears caught in a gust of wind, an effect heightened by the etching technique, which allows for a freedom of line not easily achieved in other media. Demarne’s etching shows how technique and material come together to create not just an image, but a mood, a moment, and a view onto 18th-century life.