Ceres in een landschap, in het gezelschap van drie saters 1618 - 1655

Cornelis Schut made this print, Ceres in a Landscape, sometime in the 17th century using etching. Etching is an intricate process. A metal plate is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance called a ground. The artist then scratches an image into the ground, exposing the metal beneath. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. The deeper the grooves, the more ink they hold. Schut would have then removed the ground, inked the plate, and pressed it onto paper, transferring the image. This combination of skill and labor allowed for multiple impressions to be made, democratizing access to art. Here, we can see how the etched lines capture the textures of skin, foliage, and fruit, the pastoral scene unfolding from the careful handwork in the studio. Though classical in subject, the work is born of very particular means of production. The act of repetitive labor, the way that this technique allows for multiple impressions and distribution, are critical to understanding its artistic and social value.