Twee figuren voor een gebouw met een rieten dak 1830 - 1878

This print, "Twee figuren voor een gebouw met een rieten dak," was made by Johannes Pieter van Wisselingh. The etching process van Wisselingh used to create this piece involves covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant coating, and then scratching the design into the coating with a needle. The plate is then immersed in acid, which eats away at the exposed metal to create the lines of the image. It is a relatively democratic form of art-making. The printmaking allowed for the mass production of images. Van Wisselingh captured a rural scene with figures near a thatched-roof building and a windmill in the distance. It is a romanticized view of agrarian life, but don't be fooled! Even seemingly idyllic scenes are tied to issues of labor, land ownership, and social class. By considering how the image was produced and what it represents, we can start to challenge the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.