Titelpagina met de vier jaargetijden 1778

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki made this title page with the four seasons around 1779, using etching on paper. The material, paper, is of course fundamental to the print. The fine lines are achieved through an elaborate process. The artist would have coated a metal plate with wax, then drawn through it with a needle to expose the metal. This was then submerged in acid, which ate away at the exposed lines, creating an incised image. Ink was then forced into these lines, and the image transferred to the paper under great pressure. The texture of the paper, its weight, and ability to absorb ink, all influence the final product. There is an incredible amount of labor and skill involved in this reproductive process, and yet, the print would have been considered relatively inexpensive at the time. Consider the social context of printmaking in the 18th century, which enabled mass communication, and political discourse, challenging traditional hierarchies of art and value.