Rivier in boomrijk landschap before 1815

Hermanus van Brussel made this tiny landscape, 'River in a landscape with trees', using etching, a printmaking technique that dates back to the Middle Ages. The process involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance known as the ground. The artist then draws through the ground with a pointed needle, exposing the metal. Immersing the plate in acid etches the exposed lines, creating grooves that will hold ink. By varying the depth of the etching with repeated immersions, van Brussel could achieve a range of tones and textures, from the crisp lines of the architecture to the soft foliage of the trees. The resulting print is a testament to the artist’s skill in manipulating line and tone. The work is small, but the level of detail invites closer looking. It is the intimate scale and the repetitive work involved, that prompts one to consider the value of craft in an era of mass production.