Gezicht op de zijkant van een Kathedraal om omliggende gebouwen 1932

Jules de Bruycker created this print, "View of the Side of a Cathedral with Surrounding Buildings," using etching, a process that demands both physical strength and precise skill. The lines you see weren't drawn directly onto the paper. Instead, Bruycker coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched his design into that surface. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed metal, creating recessed lines. Ink was then applied, filling these lines, and the plate was pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Look closely at the network of hatched lines which give definition to the forms and a sense of the scene bathed in light. Etching is a laborious process, requiring careful control at each stage. It also allowed for multiple impressions to be made, which democratized the image, making it available to a wider audience, and this print becomes a commentary on labor, the economics of art, and the value of skilled craftsmanship.