Tombe met obelisk en rookvaten 1755 - 1782

This print, "Tombe met obelisk en rookvaten," was made by Juste Nathan Boucher in the 18th century. Boucher used etching to create this print, a process involving coating a metal plate with wax, scratching an image into the wax, and then using acid to bite the exposed metal. The print’s linear quality results directly from the etching process, where each line is carefully incised. Observe the fineness of the lines, giving the image a delicate, almost ethereal quality. The smoke, the drapery, and the figures are rendered with a precision that speaks to Boucher's skill. There's a repetitive nature to the fine lines, a kind of labor seen in many prints of this era, which are often produced in multiples. The print medium lends itself to dissemination, fitting within a broader culture of reproduction and exchange. By focusing on the process, we see how Boucher's print engages with broader social and economic systems, challenging our understanding of art as unique and singular.