Soldaten bij een stadsmuur 1745

Simon Fokke made this print of soldiers by a city wall using etching and engraving techniques in 1745. These processes involve covering a metal plate with a waxy, protective layer, and then scratching an image into the wax. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed metal. This creates lines that, when inked and printed, form the image you see here. This print reveals much about the labor involved in its creation. The density of the lines, built up with cross-hatching, would have taken considerable time. The way the lines taper and swell gives a sense of depth and light, vital to describing the tumultuous scene. The image's sharp detail and tonal range are due to Fokke’s mastery of the tools and chemicals. It represents a moment of high drama, full of intense physical action and military might. Consider this print not just as an image, but as evidence of the artist's skilled labor, transforming base metal into a work of art.