Landschap met ruïne van een romeinse tempel 1615 - 1616

Esaias van de Velde made this landscape with the ruin of a Roman temple sometime before 1630, using the etching process. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy ground, then scratching into it with a needle. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites away the exposed metal, leaving incised lines. Ink is then applied to the plate, which is then pressed onto paper. The image shows a ruined temple in a rural landscape, with figures walking and riding. The etching process, with its reliance on line, lends itself well to the depiction of detail, and the artist has used this to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. Note the contrast between the solid, ruined architecture, and the open landscape. This contrast highlights the amount of labor involved in constructing buildings versus that of appreciating nature. This print provides a powerful statement about the relationship between human endeavor and the natural world, and reminds us to question the boundaries between artistic skill and manual labor.