Sarratoga [sic] (The Surrender of General Burgoyne to General Horatio Gates, Battle of Saratoga, October 17, 1777) 1784

This print, made by François Godefroy, commemorates the British defeat at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. It’s an etching, a printmaking technique that relies on the corrosive action of acid to create an image in metal. Consider the labor involved. First, the artist covers a copper plate with a waxy ground, then scratches an image into it with a needle. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites away the exposed lines. After removing the ground, the plate is inked, and then pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The fineness of the etched lines allows for incredible detail, evident in the depiction of the surrendering armies, but it is worth remembering that this was a highly industrialized process, involving not only the artist, but also printers, distributors, and ultimately consumers. Prints like this one were the mass media of their day, spreading information and shaping public opinion, with Saratoga, one of the key moments in the American Revolution.