The Beach at Villerville 1837 - 1878

Charles-François Daubigny made "The Beach at Villerville" using etching, a printmaking technique that utilizes the corrosive power of acid to create delicate lines on a metal plate. Here, the incised lines suggest the scene's atmosphere, from the heavy cartwheels to the figures at work on the shore. The etcher's marks convey the very feel of the beach, with its wet sand, and the endless labor that takes place there. We see working people busily reaping the sea's harvest, a humble counterpoint to the yacht at sail in the background. Consider the labor involved in the etching process itself, the patient work of the artist mirrored in the activities of the figures depicted. Daubigny, by drawing attention to these traditionally overlooked subjects, elevates the everyday into the realm of fine art. The humble materials and processes, far from diminishing the work, imbue it with a powerful sense of place and social context.