Le feu (Fire) 1863

Here is the audio guide script about the artwork: This print, ‘Le feu’, or ‘Fire,’ by Jules Ferdinand Jacquemart, is rendered through etching. It depicts an array of implements associated with fire and the hearth: a cauldron, bellows, and various pokers and pots. The effect of the etching process gives the objects their forms. A dense mesh of fine lines creates shadow and volume, built up through labor-intensive work on the plate. This finely wrought quality is particularly evident in the burnished surfaces of the metalware. The tools are carefully arranged, suggesting a social context of domestic labor, craft, and perhaps the preparation of food. In choosing this subject, Jacquemart elevates utilitarian objects to a level worthy of artistic consideration. It invites us to look closely at the textures and forms of everyday life, and to consider the labor involved in the maintenance of the domestic sphere. By taking this approach, the print dissolves boundaries between fine art and the world of work.