Ganzen bij het water 1887

Elias Stark created this tranquil scene, ‘Geese by the Water,’ using etching, a printmaking technique, sometime before his death in 1933. This isn't just drawing; it’s a chemical and physical process that emphasizes the work involved in its production. The etcher coats a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then draws into that ground with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. The longer the plate sits in the acid, the deeper and darker the lines will be. After the ground is removed, the plate is inked, wiped clean, and then pressed onto paper, transferring the ink from the etched lines to create the image. This print's charm lies in its delicate lines and tonal variations achieved through varying the acid’s bite. Each impression requires the artist to repeat this labor-intensive process, offering a vision of nature filtered through industry. It asks us to reconsider how we define artistic value, emphasizing skill, labor, and material transformation.