Sint-Janspoort te Arnhem 1727 - 1733

This print, Sint-Janspoort te Arnhem, was made by Abraham Rademaker, sometime around the turn of the 18th century, using etching. Think about how Rademaker made this image. Lines are etched into a metal plate, which holds ink and transfers that image onto paper. The etching process gives the image an incredible level of detail, but it is far from a photographic likeness. The texture of the stonework of the gate, and even the clouds in the sky, are all built up from small strokes. This image comes to us through labor, through the craft and skill of the artist's hand. The small scale of the print also implies that it was intended for close inspection. Rademaker was one of many artists documenting the built environment at this time. In a sense, he was doing for Dutch cities what a landscape painter did for the countryside. He was capturing a sense of place through careful observation and rendering. This approach elevates the status of everyday life and labor in art. Rather than focusing on grand historical events or religious scenes, Rademaker is finding beauty and interest in the ordinary.