Officier der Hussaren 1835 - 1850

Albertus Verhoesen created this print of a Hussar Officer. The printmaking process is an indirect one, beginning with an image on a matrix, often a metal plate. Ink is applied, and the plate is pressed to paper. The materiality of ink on paper yields fine lines and the ability to produce images in multiples. Here, it is possible that Verhoesen used a method called etching, using acid to eat into the metal. He may have also used aquatint, a variation of etching, to create tonal effects, as seen in the shading of the horse and the officer’s uniform. Either way, the application of corrosive acid would require great skill and foresight. The image may represent military power but also the mechanization of image production and dissemination. Considering the context, we can see how the print offered a way to participate in that culture of production and consumption.