Allegorie met drie bustes in een ronde tempel 1836 - 1912

This allegory was made by Isaac Weissenbruch in the 19th century, using etching on paper. Weissenbruch employed etching techniques, using sharp tools to scratch away at the prepared metal surface. The resulting network of lines describes forms, light and shadow. Consider the material itself: paper, made from pulped plant fibers. Weissenbruch manipulated lines through labour intensive working processes, giving it a remarkable sense of depth and texture. The etched lines are not merely descriptive, but evocative of other media such as drawing. This print reflects the tradition of transferring sketches into print, opening up images to a wider audience. The matrix of etched lines becomes an important record of the artist’s hand and of nineteenth-century print culture. It underscores the importance of understanding how material and making processes contribute to an artwork's significance.