Twee mannen bij bosrand 1613 - 1695

Editor: This is "Two Men by a Wood Edge," an etching on paper by Nicolas Perelle. The stark black and white gives it an austere, almost solemn feel. I’m curious about the process involved in making such a detailed image with etching. What can you tell me about that? Curator: Well, consider the socio-economic conditions of 17th century printmaking. Print workshops, dependent on skilled labor and expensive materials like copper plates and specialized inks, produced these images for a growing market. This landscape, while seemingly pastoral, is a commodity manufactured through specific technical processes and driven by capitalist exchange. How does the mass production of prints influence the perception of landscape itself? Editor: So, it's not just about the pretty scene but also about how easily this image could be reproduced and shared. But doesn't the skill of the etcher also come into play? How would that contribute to the final selling price and access to market? Curator: Absolutely. The etcher’s skill directly relates to the final print's quality, affecting its market value and distribution. Look closely at the labor inherent in the textures—the careful acid-etching process, the physical act of pressing the print. These are tangible elements that are easily forgotten when you just view the completed image. Can you appreciate the labor just by viewing this final rendering? Editor: That's a really good question. I never really thought about that, but I see your point. I wonder, looking at other landscapes, if one could trace certain workshops through common materials, the particular weight of the paper, the tonality of the inks. Curator: Exactly. These elements of materiality allow us to contextualize artistic creation within broader economic and social frameworks. It definitely reveals that landscape wasn't just a "scene" but a *made* product from a material basis, not unlike any of the objects found within such scene.