Saluerende militair 1879

This print, "Saluerende militair," was made by Edouard Armand-Dumaresq sometime in the mid-19th century, using etching. It is a classic printmaking process where the artist scratches through a waxy ground on a metal plate. The plate is then exposed to acid, which bites into the metal where it's exposed. What's great about this image, in terms of materials, is the way Dumaresq has used the etching process to create the tonal variations. You can almost feel the rough texture of the soldier’s uniform, the way it is brought to life by the mark-making. Printmaking like this was often used to disseminate images widely, so you have to consider this artwork in light of the burgeoning print industry. It's a fairly labor intensive process to create the plate, but then multiples can be produced relatively quickly, and that is something that made imagery far more accessible to the masses. In other words, this isn't just a picture of a soldier, it's a product of its time, both in subject matter, and in method of production.