Oliver Cromwell til hest 1644 - 1670

This print of Oliver Cromwell on horseback was made by an anonymous artist, using etching and engraving. These printmaking methods are fundamentally about controlled, repeatable mark-making. The artist would have started by coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, drawing the composition with a needle to expose the metal. Then, by immersing the plate in acid, the lines would be bitten into the surface. Engraving, on the other hand, involves directly cutting lines into the metal with a tool called a burin. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched or engraved lines. Finally, dampened paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the image. The amount of labor involved in these processes is considerable; the intricacy of detail that can be achieved speaks to the high level of skill required. Prints like this circulated widely, contributing to the formation of public opinion and historical narrative. They remind us that even seemingly straightforward images are the result of complex making.