Landschap met drie mannen 1616 - 1680

Landschap met drie mannen, made by Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi, is a landscape rendered entirely in ink on paper. The etching process begins with a metal plate coated in wax. The artist then scratches an image into the wax, exposing the metal. The plate is submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. After removing the wax, the plate is inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. It’s then pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Grimaldi masterfully uses the etching technique to achieve an atmospheric landscape. The density of the lines creates depth, with the foreground trees appearing darker and more detailed than the distant hills. This print, like others from its time, was made in multiples, designed for wide distribution among collectors and other artists. Considering the labor involved in creating the plate and pulling each print, we might see this landscape not just as a scene, but also as a product of skilled handwork, part of a larger system of artistic production and consumption. It demonstrates the labor involved in making art, a feature not always obvious in more unique, traditionally valued works.