Landschap met een herder met kudde voor een stad

Sebastien Bourdon made this print of a landscape with shepherd and flock sometime before 1671, using etching. Bourdon created this image by coating a metal plate with wax, then drawing through the wax to expose the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. This process captures an incredible amount of detail. Look closely, and you'll see the texture of the rocks, the fleece of the sheep, even the way the clouds are rendered. Etching was a key technology for disseminating images to a broad public. It’s worth remembering that prints like these were not just art objects, but also a form of media. They were relatively inexpensive, and could be circulated widely. So, next time you see a print, consider not just the image itself, but the skilled work and wider economic context that brought it into being.