The Little Foundry 

Jules André Smith made this etching, "The Little Foundry," using metal plates and acid to create an image of a waterside workshop. The etching process gives this print a distinctive character. Smith would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched an image into it. When dipped in acid, the exposed metal would be eaten away, leaving behind fine lines. The plate is then inked and printed, resulting in the delicate, detailed image we see here. But, more than just the process, notice the subject. Smith has taken a rather romantic view of what would have been a hot, laborious workshop. We see two workers using brute force on what looks like a wheel-making operation. While this image of labor romanticizes the process and the work involved, it does raise questions about the human cost of production, and the role of art in capturing or obscuring those realities. Smith's print invites us to think about the relationship between the artist, the artisan, and the broader social and economic context in which they work.