Low Tide, Cos Cob Bridge 1915

Childe Hassam made this print, "Low Tide, Cos Cob Bridge", using etching, a printmaking process that relies on the corrosive properties of acid. The artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, protective layer, and then drawn his composition into that layer with a sharp needle. The plate would then have been submerged in acid, which bites away at the exposed metal. This image of a construction site is not just about the finished product, but also about the labor involved in building up the world around us. See how Hassam uses many short, precise strokes to capture the scene. The etched line gives this print a stark, documentary feel. Hassam does a wonderful job of making the scene alive with the immediacy of industrial progress. He coaxes the medium to reflect his subject, making use of the graphic starkness of the etched line to convey a sense of working-class industry. So, as you consider Hassam's work, remember that it is the making, not just the image, that gives the art its meaning.