Kop van een mopshond 1858

Jacobus Cornelis Gaal created this etching of a pug in 1858. An etching is a printmaking technique that uses acid to cut into a metal plate, in this case likely copper, to create a design. The plate is then inked, and the ink is transferred to paper, creating the print you see here. Look closely, and you can see how Gaal used different densities of lines to build up the image, creating areas of light and shadow that define the pug's features. The hatching creates a sense of texture, from the dog’s short fur to the soft shading around its face. What’s interesting here is how a relatively simple technique could achieve such a detailed result. This speaks to the artist's skill and labor in manipulating the etching process. Printmaking, like etching, has always been tied to wider social issues of labor and consumption, especially in the 19th century when printed images became more widely available. Appreciating the time and skill involved challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft.