Liggende koe bij een boom 1803

Adam von Bartsch made this print of a resting cow sometime before 1821, using etching. This intaglio printmaking process allows the artist to create fine, precise lines that capture details like the texture of the cow's hide and the surrounding foliage. The image is achieved by drawing through a wax coating on a metal plate, and then bathing it in acid; this bites delicate lines into the metal. It is a relatively efficient method, allowing artists to produce multiple impressions. Here, we can see how Bartsch uses the etched line to create a sense of depth and volume, playing with light and shadow. While etching was certainly a skilled craft, by Bartsch's time it had become more of an industrial technique than a unique art. Prints like this would have helped circulate images, feeding a growing appetite for visual information. Paying attention to materials and making helps us appreciate how the work sits within broader social and economic contexts, challenging traditional distinctions between high art and craft.