Putti, die een lam offeren 1670 - 1697

Paul van Somer II created this print, "Putti, die een lam offeren," using etching, a printmaking technique dating back to the early 16th century. To make an etching like this, the artist coats a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratches an image into the coating with a special needle. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal, creating lines. Once the coating is removed, the plate is inked and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Prints like this played a vital role in disseminating visual information, from current events to designs for decorative objects. This one is particularly interesting because it seems to mock the rituals of the elite. It challenges conventional artistic hierarchies, reminding us that art, in all its forms, is deeply embedded in its social and economic context.