View of a peninsula with figures and ships with bare masts, in the right foreground five figures congregate around two barrels, town buildings beyond 1625 - 1660

Matthijs van Plattenberg made this tiny print of a bustling harbor scene sometime in the mid-17th century. Its fine lines were achieved through etching, a printmaking technique that relies on the corrosive action of acid. To create this image, Plattenberg would have coated a metal plate, likely copper, with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. Then, using a sharp needle, he scratched away the coating to expose the metal below. Immersing the plate in acid would bite into these exposed lines. This painstaking process allowed Plattenberg to achieve remarkable detail, from the rigging of the ships to the figures unloading cargo on the shore. Look closely, and you'll see the image teems with activity. This wasn't just an aesthetic exercise; prints like these were commercial products. They captured the energy of trade, the movement of goods, and the labor that made it all possible. This print offered viewers a glimpse into a world of maritime commerce, transformed into a commodity itself. It reminds us that even the most delicate artwork is embedded in a network of making and exchange.