Pest op het eiland Aegina 1696 - 1740

This print, ‘Pest op het eiland Aegina’, was made by Matthijs Pool in the late 17th or early 18th century, using an engraving technique. Engraving is an intaglio process that involves carefully cutting lines into a metal plate, which are then filled with ink and transferred to paper. The image’s fine lines and tonal variations were achieved with specialized tools like burins and scrapers. The print's material qualities – the fineness of the lines, the subtle shading – result from the engraver's skill and the labor-intensive nature of the process. Pool's expertise in manipulating the metal plate and controlling the depth and width of the engraved lines reveals a mastery of craft traditions. Looking at this print, we can see that the process is not merely a means of reproduction, but a skilled tradition with its own aesthetic. This challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft, urging us to recognize the value of both materials and making.