Vrouw ontmoet een als een heidin verklede man 1764

This print, made by Simon Fokke around 1764, is an etching on paper. Etching is an intaglio printmaking technique that relies on metal plates covered with a waxy ground. The artist scratches into this ground, exposing the metal, which is then bitten by acid. The strength of the acid and the amount of time it’s left on the plate affects the depth of the lines, and therefore, the darkness of the printed mark. Here, Fokke has expertly controlled these variables to create a range of tones, from the delicate shadows on the woman's dress to the deep blacks of the man's cloak. Etching allowed for the relatively easy reproduction of images, satisfying a growing demand for affordable art in the 18th century. Although etching is a chemical process, it still demands a high degree of craft and skillful artistry. It also allowed artists to create images with a high level of detail, making it an ideal medium for satire, as we see here.