The Charmers of the Age 1782

Richard Livesay made this etching, “The Charmers of the Age,” sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Etching is an intaglio printmaking process, in which a metal plate is coated with a waxy ground, the design is scratched into the ground with a needle, and then the plate is immersed in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating incised lines that hold ink. In this work, the rapid, almost nervous quality of the etching gives the scene a feeling of immediacy, and is a clear choice by Livesay to reflect the lively and theatrical nature of the scene depicted. The social context of the image speaks volumes: here we see an audience, likely well-to-do, captivated by the spectacle before them. The labor of the performers, suspended in mid-air by wires, is literally on display. Livesay’s etching technique mirrors this duality. The precise lines used to capture the performers contrast with the more gestural and expressive marks used for the audience, drawing a distinction between the spectacle and its consumers. This reflects the wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption that were reshaping British society at the time. Livesay is making a subtle commentary on the social dynamics at play within London society, and the distinctions between fine art and craft.