View of Lambeth from Whitehall Stairs [copy] 1650 - 1660

Wenceslaus Hollar created this print, "View of Lambeth from Whitehall Stairs," using the etching process. A metal plate, likely copper, was coated with wax, then Hollar scratched the image into the wax, exposing the metal. Immersing the plate in acid etched these lines, allowing them to hold ink. The resulting print captures a specific time and place, but also the labor present there. See those workers on the shore? This image isn't just about the architecture of Whitehall, but about the city's industry. Hollar was a prolific printmaker, and his work provides a valuable record of 17th-century London. Prints like this were relatively affordable, making images accessible to a wider audience. This speaks to the democratizing potential of printmaking, a contrast to unique paintings, typically available only to the wealthy. Hollar's etching embodies a moment in the history of art when craft and industry were becoming intertwined, influencing how people saw and understood their world.