Stadsgezicht met weilanden op de voorgrond 1859 - 1891

Elias Stark created this landscape using etching, a printmaking technique that dates back centuries. The process begins with a metal plate, usually copper or zinc, covered with a waxy ground. The artist then draws through this ground with a needle, exposing the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. These grooves hold the ink, and when the plate is pressed onto paper, the image is transferred. In this particular print, you can see how Stark used this technique to create a wide range of tones and textures. Notice the fine, delicate lines in the sky, contrasted with the denser, more textured marks in the foreground. The making of prints like these has always been tied to wider social and economic issues. The relative ease of reproduction meant that images could be widely distributed, thus democratizing art and information. This etching gives us a glimpse into a specific time and place, but it also reminds us of the power of printmaking to shape our understanding of the world.