Interieur van de kathedraal van Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele 1888

Wilhelmus Johannes Steenhoff created this print of the interior of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula using etching, a printmaking technique that dates back to the Middle Ages. In etching, the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. They then scratch an image into the ground with a pointed tool, exposing the metal underneath. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal, creating lines. The longer the plate sits in the acid, the deeper the lines become. To make a print, the plate is inked, and then wiped clean so that ink remains only in the etched lines. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the image to the paper. Look closely and you'll see the characteristic of an etching: the image is composed of fine lines. This print invites us to consider the architectural space, but also all the hand work that went into its making.