Heer Halewijn en de prinses 1838 - 1889

Otto von Thoren created this etching, titled "Heer Halewijn en de prinses," using a metal plate and acid. The image, rendered in stark blacks and whites, tells a dark fairytale scene. Etching is a printmaking technique that uses acid to corrode the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal. The plate would have been covered with a waxy ground, through which the artist scratched an image. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves that hold ink. The plate is then cleaned, inked, and pressed onto paper, transferring the image. This indirect process allowed von Thoren to achieve fine detail and tonal variation, crucial for the eerie atmosphere. Notice how the velvety blacks create a sense of foreboding, a technique demanding careful control of the acid and timing. The social context of printmaking in the 19th century is vital. It allowed for the wider dissemination of images, making art more accessible. In this instance, it democratizes an unsettling narrative, previously confined to oral tradition, now materialized through the craft of etching.