Orangerie van Paleis Het Loo 1694 - 1697

This print of the Orangerie van Paleis Het Loo was made by Jan van Call using etching and engraving techniques. These processes involve a division of labor: the artist creates a design, which is then painstakingly incised into a metal plate. The making is laborious, requiring intense concentration and a range of skills to control the burin with precision, and modulate the acid bath that etches the lines. You can appreciate how the sharp, controlled lines of the architecture and garden structures contrast with the softer, more atmospheric rendering of the sky. The addition of color, probably applied by hand, enhances the distinction. Prints like this were made for circulation. They allowed views of prestigious places to be disseminated widely. In effect, they were luxury goods produced in multiples, and the skilled labor involved reflects the complex social economy of the time. The print testifies to the aesthetic and political ambitions of the Dutch elite. It reminds us of the human effort embedded in every image.