Maraboe 1864 - 1936

Jan van Essen created this print of a Marabou stork using etching, a printmaking technique that democratized image production in the 19th century. The etcher covers a metal plate with a waxy, protective ground, then draws through it with a needle to expose the metal. Immersing the plate in acid creates lines, which, when inked and pressed onto paper, transfer the image. The final print is a testimony to the artist’s dexterity and the chemical and mechanical processes at play. The resulting image, with its visible cross-hatching, is a kind of industrial drawing, reproducible for a mass audience. This speaks to broader issues of labor and the rise of industrial capitalism, making art accessible beyond the elite. Appreciating the craft and the means of production gives us a fuller understanding of the artwork, challenging our traditional notions of art and labor.