Combat of Tritons

Original work by Bartolomeo Montagna (Italian, 1450-1523). This work was created by Amand Durand after Robetta. Student Research Submitted by Simen Engh, 2019: In the 1600s, etching was becoming popular as an alternative to plate engraving. Plate engraving was a physically and mentally intense method, and many artists were finding relief in the less exhausting medium of etching. Etching works by scratching a design into an acid-resistant ground covering a copper plate. The scratches are later filled with ink and pressed onto paper. Today, the tools and materials necessary for etching are widely available. The same can be said for the knowledge. This is contrary to the 1600s where the techniques were secrets passed down to apprentices, and the process was a major operation. Because of this exclusivity and difficulty in producing etching plates, the majority of plates produced by the master artists were lost, worn down or destroyed over the next couple hundred years. James Smith Pierce Collectionhttps://commons.und.edu/jsp-artwork/1123/thumbnail.jp