Konijnen after 1635

Frederick Bloemaert created this image of rabbits using etching, a printmaking technique, sometime in the 17th century. A copper plate would have been coated in a waxy, acid-resistant substance, into which he scratched his design with a fine needle. Acid would then bite into the exposed lines, leaving an image in the metal. The plate is then inked and pressed onto paper. What strikes me most is how Bloemaert makes us so aware of the etching process itself. He renders the scene using only line, exploiting the capacity of this medium to evoke tone and texture. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the artist uses a range of marks, from long flowing lines to short, choppy strokes. The image is built up through labor, a process of accumulation, where each and every line is significant. In this way, the act of creation becomes part of the work's meaning, elevating this scene of humble rabbits into a carefully constructed, almost precious artifact. It reminds us that there’s no real divide between the so-called fine and decorative arts, only different ways of bringing imagination to life.