Landschap met put en boerderij 1722 - 1774

This is “Landscape with well and farm”, made by Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich using etching. Etching is an indirect intaglio process, using acid to bite lines into a metal plate. The plate is covered with a waxy ground, through which the artist draws, exposing the metal. When the plate is immersed in acid, the drawn lines are eaten away, creating grooves. The depth of these grooves determines how much ink they hold and thus the darkness of the printed line. This process enabled Dietrich to create intricate details. Note how the thatched roofs and wooden structures possess a tactile quality, almost as if you could reach out and feel the roughness of the materials. The depiction of everyday rural life is rooted in labor and the physical connection to the land. Understanding the materials and making of this print allows us to appreciate how artists like Dietrich used craft to depict and elevate the lives of ordinary people.