Portret van François-Frédéric Lemot 1815 - 1817

Jacques Noël Marie Frémy made this print of François-Frédéric Lemot, using the age-old technique of etching. Look closely, and you can see how the lines vary in weight. This is achieved by carefully controlling the depth to which the plate is bitten by acid. The artist would have covered a metal plate with a waxy ground, then scratched away lines with a needle, exposing the metal. Immersing the plate in acid would then create the recessed lines that hold the ink. This was a reproductive technique, allowing for the wide distribution of images. But each print still required skilled labor. The inking and pressing would have been done by hand, each impression bearing the mark of the artisan’s touch. This blending of mechanical reproduction and individual craftsmanship is key to understanding the print’s social context, blurring the lines between industry, artistry, and labor. It challenges our traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.