Antieke buste van Aristoteles 1678

Etienne Baudet created this etching of an antique bust of Aristotle some time in the late 17th or early 18th century. As an etching, it is the product of a printmaking process, one of the earliest forms of mechanical reproduction. The fine lines were achieved by drawing into a wax ground laid over a copper plate, then immersing the plate in acid, which bites into the exposed metal. This painstaking work contrasts with the subsequent stage of the process, in which multiple impressions could be made. Etchings like this one allowed the dissemination of classical ideals throughout Europe, at a time when access to antique sculpture was a privilege of the wealthy. So while Baudet was evidently skilled, his labor was also tied to the wider social context of knowledge sharing. It is important to consider materials and context when understanding the meaning of artworks, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.