Adjudant-Schrijver ter zee 1835 - 1850

Albertus Verhoesen made this print of an adjutant-schrijver ter zee, or warrant officer, likely in the first half of the 19th century, using etching and hand-coloring. It is an intimate portrait of labor from a distance. The technique would have begun with a metal plate, likely copper, which was coated with wax and then scratched with a needle to create the design. The plate would then be submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink was then applied to the plate, and wiped away from the surface, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, paper was pressed against the plate, transferring the image. The final touch was the hand-coloring, which added vibrancy and depth to the print, accentuating the dark blue of the warrant officer's jacket, and his red collar and cuffs. Such prints were commercial products, made to circulate widely and familiarize viewers with the uniforms of the day. This etching is more than just a picture; it's a window into the world of 19th-century labor, and its industrialization.