The School Master 1780

Jean Jacques de Boissieu made this print, *The School Master*, using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to 'bite' into a metal plate. Think about the labor involved: the artist first coats the plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratches an image into the surface, exposing the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which eats away at the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink is applied, filling the grooves, and the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. It’s a laborious, indirect process, a means of production that yields identical images, available for wider distribution. Look closely at the image. The rough interior, the children’s worn clothes – these details are rendered with fine lines, a testament to Boissieu's skill with the etching needle. The print is not just a picture; it is a manufactured object, conceived through a skilled tradition, and circulated within a burgeoning economy of images. By considering the materials, the making, and the context, we understand how artworks like this challenge distinctions between fine art and craft.