Fabriekscomplex 1833 - 1880

Auguste Numans created this print of a factory complex using etching, a process involving coating a metal plate with wax, drawing through it, and then submerging the plate in acid. The image shows an enormous industrial facility, complete with smokestacks billowing. The etching technique, with its fine lines and tonal gradations, is well-suited to capturing the complex architecture and the atmospheric pollution. It is no accident that Numans chose this subject. During the Industrial Revolution, factories like this one were symbols of progress, but also represented a significant shift in labor practices. They concentrated workers in a single location and relied on machines to increase productivity, often at the expense of the worker’s well-being. The smoke in the image serves as a reminder of both the energy and the environmental impact of these factories. Looking closely at the techniques and materials used in this printmaking helps us to consider the social and economic impact of industrialization in the 19th century.