Heuvelachtig landschap met bomen 1636 - 1695

Nicolas Perelle created this landscape print, sometime in the 17th century, using the technique of etching. The magic of an etching lies in its linear quality, achieved by drawing into a wax ground on a metal plate. Acid bites away the exposed lines, and then ink is applied and the plate is pressed onto paper. This results in the image you see before you, where the velvety blacks are built up from a dense layering of etched lines. Look closely, and you can see how Perelle varied the pressure of his hand, building up darker tones with denser marks, and creating lighter areas with a more sparse touch. The printmaking process allowed for the wide distribution of images like this one, but it also required a whole workshop of labor: the artist who conceived the image, the skilled etcher, the printer, and the distributor. By understanding the process, we can appreciate not only the artistry, but the broader social and economic context that made it possible.