Twee krijgslieden gehuld in berenhuiden, figura II 1614 - 1616

Nicolaes van Geelkercken made this print of two warriors in bear pelts using etching, a printmaking technique which relies on acid to cut lines into a metal plate. The plate would have been inked and then printed onto paper. Look closely, and you’ll see the crisp lines that define the figures’ muscular bodies and the texture of the bearskins. These are achieved by drawing through a waxy ground applied to the metal, exposing the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away. The longer it sits in the acid, the deeper and darker the lines become. This process demands planning and control. Consider how the artist uses the etching to create a detailed surface: look at the areas of shading, built up through layers of tiny, closely-spaced marks. This not only adds depth but also a tactile quality to the image. Ultimately, recognizing the labor involved in this relatively modest print encourages us to look beyond the image itself, and to think about the skilled making that underpins it.