Grazende geit 1791

This print, "Grazende geit," was made by Johann Christian Reinhart using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to bite lines into a metal plate. Think about the labor involved: Reinhart would have coated a copper plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then drawn through it with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which ate away at the exposed lines. The longer the plate remained in the acid, the deeper and darker the lines would be. This process requires immense skill, as the etcher must anticipate the final effect on paper. The resulting print has a distinctive, somewhat soft quality, owing to the way the acid erodes the lines. Look closely at the texture Reinhart achieves, particularly in the goat's hair. He coaxes depth and nuance from a medium that, at first glance, might seem limited. By considering Reinhart's technique, we realize that printmaking is not just about reproduction; it is a labor-intensive art form with its own rich history and aesthetic possibilities.