Landschap met een kudde runderen en twee herders 1833 - 1883

Auguste Numans made this landscape with cattle and shepherds using a technique called etching. Here, a metal plate would have been coated with a waxy, protective layer. The artist then scratched an image into that layer, exposing the metal underneath. Acid was then applied, which bit into the exposed metal, creating grooves. These grooves hold the ink, which is then transferred to paper under great pressure to create the print. The texture and tone of the print is highly dependent on the artist's skill in controlling the acid bath. Notice the fine lines and the subtle gradations of light and shadow, which create a sense of depth and atmosphere. This etching process, and the way it captures a scene of rural labor, reminds us of the hard work involved in both artmaking and agriculture. Numans asks us to consider not only the beauty of the landscape but also the labor and economic systems that support it.