Kop van een geit 1793

Johann Christian Reinhart created this head of a goat using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on the corrosive action of acid. The artist would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched away lines to expose the metal underneath, allowing acid to bite into the plate, creating recessed lines that hold ink. What makes etching fascinating is the directness of the process: the quality of the line is determined by the artist's hand and the varying strengths of the acid bath. The velvety blacks and detailed textures in the goat's fur result from careful control of the etching process, indicating Reinhart's skill in manipulating the materials to achieve a desired effect. Consider, too, how this image would have circulated: not as a unique artwork, but as a reproducible commodity. Appreciating the labor and technical skill involved in its making invites us to see the print not just as an image, but as an object with its own history of production and consumption.