Aalbes en Mariadistel 1617

Crispijn van de Passe the Younger made this print of gooseberries and milk thistle. It’s an etching, meaning the artist would have painstakingly drawn into a wax ground on a metal plate with a sharp needle. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, allowing for the transfer of the image onto paper. Consider the labor involved: each line, each tiny berry and thorn, carefully rendered with precision. The very nature of etching, with its reliance on line work, forces a certain level of detail and exactitude. Look at the contrasting textures, the smooth roundness of the berries against the jagged, spiky edges of the thistle leaves. These are the qualities inherent in the process, and are further evidence of the artist's skill. This wasn’t just artistic expression; it was botanical documentation. In its time, this print straddled the line between art and science, contributing to a growing body of knowledge about the natural world. It reminds us that the techniques of making profoundly shape what we see and understand.