Grape Harvest 

François-Nicolas Chifflart made this print, "Grape Harvest," using etching, a printmaking process that marries precise technique with expressive mark-making. The process involves covering a metal plate with a waxy ground, then drawing through it with a needle to expose the metal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink is applied to these grooves, and the surface is wiped clean, allowing the image to be transferred to paper under high pressure. Look closely, and you can see how the etched lines vary in thickness and depth, giving the image its rich tonality and sense of depth. The figures in the foreground are rendered with dense, energetic lines, conveying their physical exertion and the frenzied atmosphere of the grape harvest. The looser lines in the background create a sense of distance. Through the skilled manipulation of line and tone, Chifflart elevates a scene of agricultural labor to the realm of classical myth. The print acknowledges the work involved in wine production. Yet, it also transforms it into a celebration of human creativity.