Kwart plafond met in het midden Christus of God de Vader after 1644

This print of a ceiling design was made by Franz Ertinger in the 17th century. It’s rendered entirely in ink on paper, using the intaglio process of etching. This involves covering a metal plate with a waxy ground, then drawing through it with a sharp needle to expose the metal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. The etched plate is then inked and pressed onto paper. The resulting image shows a heavenly scene, complete with angels, clouds, and a radiant God the Father. But equally notable is the elaborate surrounding frame. Here, the etched line mimics carved decoration, complete with garlands and portrait medallions. Ertinger’s print is a fascinating example of how an artistic skill, printmaking, historically considered a ‘lesser’ art, can mimic the effects of sculpture and painting. It blurs the lines between different forms of labor and creative expression. The status of the print as a multiple, available for dissemination, only further complicates those boundaries.