Plate 18: a large tree at right, a man on horseback at left, seen from behind riding towards the left, from 'Various figures and doodles' (Diverses figures et griffonnemens) 1643 - 1648

Stefano della Bella created this print, Plate 18, using etching, a method with a long history by the 17th century. Etching involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, protective layer, then scratching an image into that layer with a needle. When the plate is bathed in acid, the exposed metal is eaten away, creating lines. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines, which are then transferred to paper under pressure. The quality of the final print, with its fine lines and tonal variations, depended on the skill of the etcher. Here, della Bella captures the rough bark of the large tree and the soft foliage with great sensitivity. What’s remarkable is how this industrial reproductive technique, a kind of proto-photography, could nonetheless be marshalled to such aesthetic effect. The line between craft and fine art dissolves.