Landschap met een ruiter op een zwart paard 1799 - 1874

Hendrik Jozef Franciscus van der Poorten created this small landscape with rider on a black horse using etching. The magic of etching lies in its indirectness. The artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, draws through it to expose the metal, then immerses the whole thing in acid. The longer it sits, the deeper those lines will be etched. This is then inked, and printed. The resulting tonality is quite particular. You can see it in the fine, almost vibrating lines that describe the foliage and the reflection on the water. While seemingly simple, the etching process requires immense skill to control the depth and density of the lines, thus translating tone and texture. This wasn't a mass-produced image, but an artwork made through skilled labor. This landscape speaks to the close relationship between labor and the natural world. Recognizing the craft involved allows us to appreciate van der Poorten’s dedication to his medium and the beauty he found in the everyday.