Drawing on Metal
There are over 800 sheets of prints in the collection of Museum Rijswijk; about two-thirds of these are etchings. The oldest date from the 17th century but the main focus is on the period 1880-1930. These are mainly topographical representations with views of Rijswijk. The etchings from the 17th and 18th centuries are often an account of a historical event or the recording of a topographical situation, e.g. for a publication. Around 1900, the artists' personalities come more to the fore. They not only choose their own subjects but integrate Rijswijk subjects into a landscape framework.
A focal point of the collection are the etchings made on the occasion of the Peace of Rijswijk. This peace treaty concluded in 1697 was a major event and produced numerous commemorative prints, culminating in two series of fourteen etchings by Jan van Vianen and Petrus Schenck. The museum also has Schenck's complete series as a simple booklet. What was commonplace then is now a rare example of how prints were sold at the time.
Selling work was and is quite a puzzle for many an artist. Pieter de Regt is one of the last Rijswijk artists who chose the village as the subject of his etchings. To stimulate the sale of these works, he entered into a collaboration with the Rijswijksche Courant in the 1920s. Apparently with success because to this day, the museum still receives offers of etchings from descendants of the buyers of the time.
The most notable etchings in the collection are those by paper artist Peter Gentenaar. Initially, in the 1970s, he was mainly experimenting as a graphic artist. He soon discovered that the available paper was not strong enough, so he decided to make his own. This proved to be career-defining. Today, Peter Gentenaar is one of the world's leading paper artists.
Drawing on Metal shows a colourful variety of etchings, from small and simple to large and complicated, mostly in black and white but with colour here and there. The exhibition also includes a number of original etching plates, the highlight being a large copper plate from 1697 showing the Huis ter Nieuwburch in Rijswijk.