Chine, from "Jeu de la Géographie" 1644

Stefano della Bella created this print, "Chine," as part of a series called "Jeu de la Géographie". It was made using etching, a printmaking process that relies on the corrosive action of acid to create lines in a metal plate, which then holds ink and transfers the image to paper. The quality of the etched line is quite distinctive, and here, it serves to define not only the figure's form but also the textures of their clothing. Look closely and you'll see how the lines vary in thickness and density. This is due to the artist's control over the etching process – the depth of the lines, how much ink they hold, and thus how they appear in the print. Consider that printmaking, like pottery or weaving, is a fundamentally reproducible medium. It speaks to a world of broader distribution, and perhaps even democratization, of imagery. The making of multiples, like the making of many other things, is closely linked to social forces, like labor and politics. And it is right there in the ink.