Verliefd stel wandelt in kasteeltuin 1830 - 1880

Adolphe Mouilleron made this print, Verliefd stel wandelt in kasteeltuin, using etching, a method with a fascinating history. The artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and then scratched an image into that coating. Immersing the plate in acid would bite away the exposed lines, leaving an image in intaglio on the metal surface. When the plate is inked and pressed onto paper, the drawing is transferred. The real fascination here is the way that a repeatable medium, like printmaking, could nevertheless be used to such romantic and seemingly spontaneous effect. The image suggests a pastoral scene, yet the very means of its production is industrial. In this way, the artwork touches on the complex relationship between nature, love, and industrialization in the 19th century. It challenges us to consider how such supposedly distinct realms of experience are, in fact, deeply interwoven.