Vertrek van de Amsterdammers naar Utrecht, 1787 1787

Caspar Jacobsz. Philips created this print, titled 'Departure of the Amsterdammers to Utrecht', in 1787. It is made using etching, a printmaking process dating back to the late Middle Ages. Here, a metal plate, likely copper or zinc, would have been coated in a waxy, acid-resistant substance called 'ground'. The artist then scratched an image into the ground with a pointed tool, exposing the metal beneath. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink was applied into these grooves, the surface wiped clean, and the image transferred to paper under great pressure. Philips was documenting a very specific moment in the history of the Netherlands. This was a period of political turmoil, in which supporters and opponents of the Stadtholder were deeply divided. This image shows citizen militia departing from Amsterdam to Utrecht, to reinstate the Stadtholder William V.