Diana bating 

Here we have ‘Diana bathing’, an etching made by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the 18th century. Etching is an intaglio printmaking process, meaning that lines are incised into a metal plate to hold the applied ink. In this case, Piranesi would have used a sharp needle to draw the composition onto a copper plate covered with a wax ground. Once the drawing was complete, the plate would have been submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The wax is then removed, and the plate is inked, with the ink settling into the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the ink and creating the print. Piranesi employed these methods to generate images, which, at the time, democratized the availability of classical themes, previously known from painting or sculpture. The stark lines and tonal variations he achieved speak to his skill in controlling the etching process, giving form to this scene of classical life.