Det lille vandfald 1603 - 1655

This etching of a small waterfall was created by Herman van Swanevelt, likely in the mid-17th century. It’s made using a copper plate, carefully incised with lines that hold ink and transfer it to paper. The magic of etching lies in its combination of control and accident. The artist coats a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then draws through the ground with a sharp needle. When the plate is immersed in acid, the exposed lines are etched, creating grooves. Swanevelt could control the depth of the lines by varying the immersion time, achieving a range of tonal values. Look closely, and you can see how Swanevelt exploited this process, rendering the rocks with dense, short marks, the foliage with delicate lines, and the water with long, flowing strokes. This skilled application gives the print a remarkable sense of depth and texture. The finished print, like any multiple, depended on distribution networks and a ready market. Appreciating the craft involved allows us to see this image not just as a landscape, but as a product of 17th-century printmaking.