La Balustrade de la Treille Muscate 1929 - 1932

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this etching, La Balustrade de la Treille Muscate, using a metal plate, acid, and ink. As an etching, the image begins as a drawing scratched into a wax coating on the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites away the exposed lines. The plate is inked, and then wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched furrows, and finally, it's pressed onto paper. Segonzac wasn’t interested in the kind of slick, mass-produced imagery so common even in his time. He turned to the slower, more deliberate processes of printmaking, relishing the way that a simple etched line could evoke shadow, volume, and depth. There’s a clear appreciation for the labor involved, a sense of direct connection between the artist’s hand and the final image. Segonzac's choice of etching as a medium, his engagement with the material qualities of the ink, and his focus on capturing a sense of place elevate this print. It bridges the gap between traditional fine art and the more grounded world of craft.