Staande oude vrouw 1642 - 1664

This small etching of a standing old woman was made by Cornelis Bega sometime in the mid-17th century. The print was created by coating a copper plate with wax, then using a fine needle to scratch away the wax, exposing the metal beneath. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. The image shows a working-class woman wearing a fur cap, a smock and clogs. Bega has used the etching technique to create a network of fine lines that describe not just the woman’s form, but the very texture of her garments, and the atmosphere in which she stands. The tonal variations were built up slowly, laboriously, through controlled corrosion. Prints like this one were relatively inexpensive, made in multiples, and circulated widely. They played a vital role in the era’s visual culture. We should appreciate it not just for its aesthetic qualities, but also as a potent document of its time. Only by considering both its making and its social context can we grasp its full meaning.