Tocht van Maurits door Brabant naar Grave, 1602 1603

Lambert Cornelisz made this print of Maurits' journey through Brabant to Grave in 1602, using the intaglio process of etching. The artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then drawn the image through the coating with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The real labor comes when the plate is prepared for printing. Ink is forced into the etched lines, and the surface is wiped clean. Damp paper is then laid on the plate, and both are run through a press. The pressure forces the paper into the inked grooves, transferring the image. The image itself shows row upon row of soldiers marching across the Dutch landscape, resembling an army of ants. Text at the bottom of the print describes in minute detail the events being depicted. This print testifies to the period's burgeoning print culture, where images circulated widely, shaping public opinion and recording historical events for posterity. But remember: behind this apparent mass production lay an artisan's patient, painstaking work.