Titelpagina voor Arlequin Esope, in Le Théâtre Italien de Gherardi, Parijs 1700. 1694 - 1700

This etching by Franz Ertinger, made around 1700, is the title page for "Arlequin Esope" from "Le Théâtre Italien de Gherardi" in Paris. Immediately striking is the formal interplay of depth and compression, staged within an elaborate theatre. The theatrical space is defined by sharp lines and shadowed texture achieved by cross-hatching. These techniques carve out a visual field teeming with figures and architectural forms. Notice how the composition balances the foreground action with a receding background of arches and distant landscapes, creating a stage-like effect. The characters, frozen in exaggerated poses, are framed by a proscenium arch of dense foliage, further emphasizing the theatrical metaphor. Ertinger’s use of precise detail and structured composition invites us to consider the theatricality inherent in representation itself, and to recognize how art creates constructed realities.