Landschap met herder en zijn koeien 1744 - 1749

Christian Ludwig von Hagedorn made this etching, "Landschap met herder en zijn koeien," on paper, a relatively new technology for image making at the time. Etching involves coating a metal plate with wax, drawing through the wax to expose the metal, and then submerging the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. The plate is then cleaned, inked, and pressed onto paper to transfer the image. The quality of line in etching makes the image look like it was made using a pen, or some other type of drawing tool. It is a form of industrialized drawing where multiples can be created, and is relatively easy to learn. Unlike the labor-intensive craft of engraving, etching emerged as a modern art form that democratized image production. This print, with its rustic scene of a shepherd and his cows, is a product of its time, capturing a burgeoning interest in the everyday lives of ordinary people. The etching process, with its relative ease and reproducibility, aligns with the Enlightenment's ideals of accessibility and the dissemination of knowledge.