Diana en Actaion before 1715

This print, Diana en Actaion, was created by C. de Moelder using the intaglio technique. This is a printmaking process, where the image is incised into a surface, and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink. Here, Moelder cut into a metal plate to create the image. The plate would have been carefully prepared, polished to a smooth finish. Using specialized tools such as burins or etching needles, the artist would then carve lines into the metal, the depth and width of the lines determining the darkness of the printed image. Acid may have been used to deepen the lines through etching. Once the design was complete, the plate was inked, forcing it into the incised lines. The surface was then wiped clean, leaving ink only in the grooves. Damp paper was then placed on the plate, and both were run through a high-pressure printing press. The pressure forced the paper into the inked lines, transferring the image. The resulting print displays fine lines and details, a testament to the artist's skill and the labor-intensive process, blurring the lines between craft and fine art.