Verschrikt kijkende vrouw 1722 - 1723

Jan Wandelaar made this small print, “Verschrikt kijkende vrouw,” or “Startled Woman,” sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Its medium is etching, which allows for incredibly fine detail. Look closely, and you’ll see an astounding range of textures, from the heavy velvet curtain to the frilly garments of the figures. These details weren’t achieved easily. To make a print like this, Wandelaar would have covered a copper plate with a waxy ground, then used a sharp needle to draw his composition, exposing the metal. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the lines, incising them. After removing the ground, ink was applied to the plate, pushed into the etched lines, and then wiped from the surface. Finally, the plate was pressed onto paper, transferring the image. This was an indirect process, requiring patience and skill. Yet this reproductive technology was a way of multiplying images like this one, spreading social mores about gender and class far and wide. It’s a powerful example of how handcraft and industrialization could come together.