Diverse honden bij een muur 1886 - 1897

Christiaan Lodewijk van Kesteren made this print of diverse dogs by a wall, using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on the controlled corrosion of metal. The magic of the process lies in how the artist coaxes tone and texture from a blank plate. A metal sheet is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant layer, and the design is then scratched into this coating, exposing the metal beneath. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. These grooves hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under high pressure. Look closely, and you will notice the incredible fineness of the etched lines. This allowed Van Kesteren to capture the different breeds’ textures, from the shaggy coat of the terrier in the foreground, to the smooth fur of the dog at the front, to the one gazing from the window. As a multiple, this print would have been relatively inexpensive, bringing images like this to a wide audience and popularizing ideas about animals and breeds. It’s a reminder that even seemingly simple images can be technically sophisticated, and also culturally resonant.