Nachtelijk tocht van Spaanse soldaten door het water naar Duiveland, 1575 1643 - 1645

This print, depicting a nighttime raid by Spanish soldiers, was made by Frans van den Wijngaerde in the 17th century. It's an etching, meaning that the artist would have used a sharp needle to draw through a waxy ground on a metal plate, which was then submerged in acid to bite the exposed lines. The resulting incised plate was then inked and used to create the print on paper. The sharp, graphic quality you see is typical of this process, which allows for a great deal of detail. Look closely, and you can see how Wijngaerde used closely spaced lines to create shading and texture, giving a sense of depth to the scene. The printmaking process itself is crucial here. It allowed Wijngaerde to create multiple copies of this image, making it accessible to a wider audience. This was particularly important in a time of conflict, as it allowed for the dissemination of information and propaganda. Far from being a singular work of genius, this print is an artifact of early mass media.