Portrait of a Man in a Cap Possibly 1886

This 'Portrait of a Man in a Cap' is a print made by Charles Albert Waltner. Rather than painting, Waltner chose the medium of etching, which is a printmaking process that relies on the corroding action of acid to create an image on a metal plate. The velvety blacks and subtle gradations of tone are achieved by meticulously layering tiny, closely-spaced lines. The artist would have used sharp tools to cut into a wax-coated plate, then bathed it in acid, allowing the exposed metal to be eaten away. This skilled process results in the fine lines that hold ink and, when pressed onto paper, create the image. The resulting print is a testament to the artist’s labor and control over the materials. It also shows the industrialization of art through the proliferation of printing. Considering the work involved, we can appreciate the intense effort of the hand, and how this contributes to the final artwork.