Funeral Procession on the Boulevard Clichy 1887

Félix Hilaire Buhot created this print, Funeral Procession on the Boulevard Clichy, using etching and aquatint. These processes involve coating a metal plate with a waxy ground, then drawing through it to expose the metal. Acid bites into these lines, creating grooves that hold ink. What is so compelling about Buhot's printmaking is the way it engages directly with the urban experience. The Boulevard Clichy was a site of constant activity, and Buhot emphasizes this with a flurry of detail, rendered through the acid-etched lines. Note how the inclement weather is captured by the pooling of the ink. The labor that went into the work is evident, not only in the image itself, but in the very act of its production. Etching is painstaking and slow, demanding a deep investment of time. By drawing attention to this effort, Buhot elevates the status of printmaking. He urges us to appreciate the work that goes into artmaking, and the skill required to capture a scene from modern life.