Drinkende man met wandelstaf 1871 - 1906

Pieter de Josselin de Jong made this print, *Drinkende man met wandelstaf*, using etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate. To make this image, the artist would have first applied a waxy, acid-resistant ground to a metal plate. The image was then scratched into the ground with a needle, exposing the metal. When the plate was submerged in acid, the exposed lines were "bitten," creating grooves. After removing the ground, the plate was inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate and paper were run through a press, transferring the image. The effect of all this is a sharp, delicate web of lines that define the drinker's figure, his slumped posture suggesting a narrative of hardship and perhaps, escape. The material is crucial here; the very act of scratching into the plate, and its immersion in acid, mirrors the harsh realities that the drinking man is facing. It makes you wonder if he is a product of his labour, and a victim of industry.