Slag bij Bergen, 1799 1800 - 1802

Reinier Vinkeles made this print of the Battle of Bergen sometime around 1799, using the technique of etching. Look closely, and you can see how this process allowed Vinkeles to create an image of incredible detail. He would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched his design into it with a fine needle. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink was then applied to the plate, filling the grooves, and the surface was wiped clean. Finally, the image was transferred to paper under high pressure. Think about the labor involved: the meticulous drawing, the careful application of acid, the printing itself. In its way, this print embodies the social and political turbulence of its time. The battle itself was a bloody affair, and its depiction here resonates with the artist's skillful labor, which would have required long hours of painstaking work. This print reminds us that even seemingly simple images can be the product of complex processes and social contexts.