Landschap met bomen 1876 - 1911

Adolphe van Weezel Errens made this landscape with trees using etching, a printmaking technique involving the use of acid to cut into a metal plate. The material quality of the copper plate influences every aspect of the image. The artist would have applied a waxy, acid-resistant ground to the plate before drawing through it with a sharp needle. This exposes the metal, allowing acid to bite and create the lines that hold ink. Notice how the density of the lines, particularly in the foliage, creates a sense of depth and shadow. Etching allowed artists to produce multiple copies of their work, making art more accessible and contributing to a growing market for prints in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The artist’s labor is thus multiplied, but also subtly masked by the seeming ease of the printed line. Recognizing the amount of work involved in such images prompts us to value both the artistic skill and the complex social context in which they were produced.