Wapenschild met slangachtige figuur en hert 1831 - 1904

Arnoud Schaepkens made this coat-of-arms with a serpentine figure and deer through etching, a printmaking technique that democratized image production. The process involves coating a metal plate with wax, scratching an image into it, and then immersing the plate in acid, which bites away the exposed lines. Ink is then applied and the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the design. The quality of the line in etching has a unique character; the acid "bites" into the metal, creating a slightly irregular edge. If you look closely, you can see a difference between the crisp lines of the coat of arms and the more roughly textured background, created by deliberately uneven application of acid. Etching allowed for the relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction of images, making art and information more accessible to a wider audience. In this way, printmaking democratizes artistic knowledge, making it less reliant on unique, handmade objects. It also offers an interesting look into the dissemination of heraldry in the 19th century.