Vrijend stel zit bij het water 1804

Cornelis Bogerts made this print of a courting couple by the water in 1804. The image, with its fine lines and subtle gradations of tone, was created through a process of engraving, a skilled tradition associated with both commercial printmaking and fine art. The artist would have used a sharp tool called a burin to cut lines directly into a copper plate. The ink settles into these grooves, and when the plate is pressed onto paper, the image is transferred. This was a labor-intensive process, demanding precision and control. The material qualities of the copper plate, its hardness and receptivity to the burin, directly influenced the level of detail Bogerts could achieve. Prints like this were often made for mass consumption, sold as individual sheets or bound into books. The image speaks to the burgeoning middle class, with leisure time and disposable income to spend on sentimental scenes like this one. Understanding the materials and processes behind the print allows us to appreciate not only the artist's skill, but also the broader social context in which it was made.