Zes boeren en herbergierster in herberg 1630 - 1648

Cornelis de Wael made this etching, *Six Peasants and an Innkeeper in a Tavern*, sometime in the 17th century. Etching is an indirect method of printmaking; the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, then draws an image with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. Next, the plate is immersed in acid, which bites into the lines. The longer the plate remains in the acid, the deeper the lines become. The ground is then removed and the plate is inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, damp paper is placed on the plate, and run through a press, transferring the ink to the paper. The texture we see is the direct result of this alchemical process. We can also sense the artist’s hand in the composition, as he drew directly onto the plate. This gives a sense of the hard labor involved in agricultural life, as the figures gather to smoke and drink. Considering the way it was made, the print provides an interesting look into the lives of ordinary people, rendered with an intricate technique more often reserved for the wealthy.