Portret van Petronella Voûte 1845 - 1886

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter made this portrait of Petronella Voûte using a technique called etching. The image begins with a metal plate, likely copper or zinc. The artist would have coated the plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched through this coating with a pointed needle to expose the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. Ink is then forced into these grooves, the surface of the plate is wiped clean, and the image is printed onto paper using a press. Look closely, and you can see the intricate network of lines that define the forms. The density and direction of these lines create shading and texture, giving depth to Petronella Voûte's features and clothing. The etched line has a unique character; it can be delicate or bold, precise or gestural, depending on the artist's hand and the strength of the acid. Prints like this one were relatively inexpensive compared to painted portraits, making them accessible to a wider audience, and contributing to a growing culture of image production and consumption. Appreciating the material process by which this image came into being allows us to understand its original social and cultural context.