Portretbuste van een monnik 1830 - 1845

Henricus Wilhelmus Couwenberg created this portrait bust of a monk using etching, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Looking closely, you can see the fine lines etched into the metal plate, which then transferred the image to the paper. The artist has skillfully used the etching technique to capture the texture of the monk's beard and the folds of his robe. The very nature of the etching process, with its reliance on controlled acid erosion, brings a certain precision to the image. Couwenberg would have needed training in the craft to produce this print. Etching has a long history, and the artist joins a lineage of printmakers who used chemistry and mechanics to create images for mass distribution. The result is a beautiful image, made through a labor-intensive process, intended to circulate widely. Recognizing this, we can appreciate this print not just as a work of art but also as an artifact of a particular moment in the history of production.