Vrouw draagt hooi op het hoofd en leidt een kind over een houten brug 1833 - 1852

Alexandre Louis Lion created this print, ‘Woman Carrying Hay on Her Head, Leading a Child Across a Wooden Bridge’, using etching, a process with a long history. With etching, a metal plate is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. The artist scratches through this ground with a needle, exposing the metal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. By varying the depth of the lines, Lion achieved a full range of tones. Look at the composition. The woman carries a heavy load. The etching technique, with its reliance on line, emphasizes the weight and texture of the hay. The scene depicts rural labor, a world far removed from the comforts of urban life. This work challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft. The skilled labor of the woman parallels that of the artist, both using physical effort to transform raw materials into something meaningful. The print’s value comes not only from its aesthetic qualities, but also from the labor and social context it represents.