Man die op een stok leunt 1657 - 1679

Hendrik Bary etched this image of a man leaning on a stick sometime before 1707. The printmaking process is relatively straightforward, yet it allows for the creation of an intricate scene. The artist would have covered a copper plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and then used a sharp needle to draw this image. The exposed lines would then be bitten by acid, leaving grooves in the metal. After removing the wax, the plate would be inked, and wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate would be pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The quality of the print depends on the control of this method. The result here has a beautiful tonality, giving a tactile, descriptive sense to the subject. The printmaking technique, while involving a degree of mechanical reproduction, also relies on highly skilled handwork. This tension between industry and craft is what makes prints like this so compelling.