Het Franse leger voor Yperen (middenblad), 1678 1678 - 1699

This print, "The French Army Before Ypres", was made in 1678 by an anonymous artist using etching. This is an intaglio process, where lines are incised into a metal plate, and then filled with ink to create an image on paper. The etcher would have covered a copper plate with a waxy ground, and then scratched an image into it with a fine needle, exposing the metal underneath. Acid would then have been applied to the plate, eating away at the exposed lines. This process creates a very precise and detailed image. Notice how the artist has captured the scene of the French army laying siege to Ypres. The city is shown in the background, while the soldiers, horses, and figures fill the foreground. The etching technique allows for fine lines and textures, creating a sense of depth and detail throughout the print. Etchings like this would have been relatively inexpensive, a means of disseminating information widely at a time when few people had access to firsthand news. Considering the material and process emphasizes how prints connected art with the broader context of society and culture.