Een groep figuren bij het Oude Loo 1822 - 1845

This print of the Oude Loo palace shows the building, and a group of figures in its grounds, rendered in a fine tracery of lines on paper. The process used to create this artwork is engraving. The design would have been incised into a metal plate, using a tool called a burin to carve the image into the surface. Look closely, and you can see how the lines are used to create a full tonal range, from the darkest shadows in the trees to the bright highlight on the building. This painstaking work would have required great skill, and the plate could then be used to create many identical images. Prints like this one were often made to disseminate images of important places or people. They made art accessible in a new way, allowing the rising middle class to participate in visual culture alongside the aristocracy. So while the scene depicted speaks of wealth and privilege, the very existence of this print suggests a democratization of visual experience.