Viering van de overwinning in de paleistuin, 1686 1686 - 1687

This print, made in 1686 by Romeyn de Hooghe, depicts the celebration of a military victory in a palace garden. Like many prints of the era, it was made using etching, a process involving coating a metal plate with wax, drawing through the wax to expose the metal, and then immersing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating recessed lines that hold ink. The linear precision of etching allows for incredible detail, evident in the throngs of figures and the architectural backdrop. But it’s the *process* of etching that I find most compelling. Each line is a result of labor, both physical and intellectual. The artist meticulously plans the composition and then painstakingly executes it, line by line. Consider also the social context. Prints like these were relatively inexpensive, making them accessible to a broad audience. Thus, this wasn't just a record of an event; it was a form of propaganda, disseminating a particular view of power and victory. Appreciating the print's meaning, then, involves understanding both its materiality and its moment in time, blurring the lines between art, craft, and social history.