Audiëntie van de Personele Commissie op Huis ten Bosch, 1782 1782

Cornelis Bogerts made this print, "Audiëntie van de Personele Commissie op Huis ten Bosch, 1782," using etching. This process involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratching an image into the coating before bathing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating grooves that hold ink. The resulting image is a study in contrasts: the clean, precise lines of the architecture versus the softer, more textured rendering of the natural elements. Bogerts skillfully manipulates line weight and density to create a sense of depth and atmosphere, drawing the viewer's eye towards the focal point of the composition, the palace itself. Prints like these were relatively democratic images, spreading information about the powerful, or in this case, the seat of power. The precision and labor required to create the etching plate speaks to the significance of the event depicted, while also reminding us of the labor involved in disseminating such images.