Gezicht op Buckingham Palace, te Londen 1841 - 1885

This print, "Gezicht op Buckingham Palace, te Londen", was made anonymously, using a technique called engraving. The image is achieved through a labor-intensive process. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to carve lines into a metal plate. This requires immense skill, both to render the architectural details of Buckingham Palace and to create the illusion of depth and light. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling the etched lines, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the ink and creating the print. Engraving, like many printmaking techniques, allowed for the mass production of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience, which previously was reserved to wealthy patrons and art collectors. This particular engraving gives us a glimpse into the 19th-century fascination with royalty and the architecture of power. It also reminds us of the crucial role that skilled labor plays in the creation and distribution of art.