Twee drinkende knechten 1858 - 1865

Adolf Carel Nunnink made this print of two drinking servants sometime in the mid-19th century. This is no oil painting or marble sculpture. It’s an etching, a fundamentally reproducible medium. Nunnink would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched his design into the surface. Next, he’d have submerged the plate in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. The deeper the bite, the darker the line. It’s a fairly indirect process. The grainy texture gives it away. The beauty of etching is that you can make many impressions. But, like any form of reproduction, the image becomes vulnerable to distribution, and potential misuse. The servants depicted here were clearly not having a great time at work. Nunnink’s print may offer a glimpse into the lives of the working class and broader social issues of labor and leisure. Paying attention to its material and the processes by which it was made helps us fully appreciate the intent of the artwork.