Man met tulband leest een boek 1750

Johann Benjamin Ehrenreich made this etching, "Man met tulband leest een boek", in 1759. The fine lines you see were achieved by coating a metal plate with wax, then drawing through it with a sharp needle. After this, the plate was submerged in acid, which ate away at the exposed lines. The result is this intimate portrait, where the concentration of cross-hatching determines the tone, and creates the illusion of form. It is a relatively democratic medium, as prints can be made in multiples. And yet, the quality of the line speaks to Ehrenreich’s skill. Consider the sheer labor involved in creating such detailed work, and the way that is subtly registered in the finished print. The turban and beard suggest a North African or Middle Eastern sitter, a figure of the imagination. Here, the act of making becomes a form of cultural interpretation, inviting us to consider the complex relationship between artist, subject, and viewer. It reminds us that artistic choices are always embedded with cultural significance.