Herder met zijn kudde 1755 - 1811

Barend Hendrik Thier created this print, ‘Herder met zijn kudde,’ using etching, a printmaking technique that democratized image production. The artist would have coated a metal plate with wax, drawn an image into the wax with a sharp needle, and then bathed the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating incised lines. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling these lines, and the surface is wiped clean. The whole plate is then pressed onto paper, transferring the image. This method allows for a high level of detail, as you can see in the textures of the animals’ fur and the surrounding landscape. The technique suggests a level of craft, balancing artistry with mechanical reproduction. Prints like this allowed for the wider distribution of imagery, but also tell us something about the economies that surround it; the social value we place on artistic skill, and the labor required to produce and share these images.