Setting Up the Bow-Net 1886

Peter Henry Emerson made this photograph, “Setting Up the Bow-Net,” using the photogravure process. This technique, which translates a photographic image into an etched plate for printing, allows for a remarkable range of tonal depth, as you can see here. The rich blacks of the water, the silvery grey of the sky, and the sharp details of the woven net and surrounding foliage; all are rendered through the manipulation of light-sensitive materials and acid etching. But while the process may seem technical, it is important to remember that Emerson was interested in something quite different, a romantic vision of rural life. By focusing on traditional methods of gathering food, he implicitly contrasted these ways of life with the growing industrialization of Britain. Photography itself, of course, was a product of this new economy. Yet Emerson used it here to evoke a timeless, unchanging world, a world of labor and skill passed down through generations. By doing so, he elevates this everyday scene to the level of fine art, prompting us to reconsider the value of both.