Landschap met wilgen aan een beek 1862 - 1901

Jules Guiette made this etching, titled *Landschap met wilgen aan een beek,* or *Landscape with Willows by a Brook*, using metal and acid. Guiette would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground. Then, using a sharp needle, he scratched away the ground to expose the metal beneath. When the plate was submerged in acid, the exposed lines would have been etched, creating grooves. The deeper the grooves, the more ink they would hold. This allowed Guiette to achieve varying tones and intricate details, giving depth and texture to the trees, brook, and field. We can see the labor that has gone into creating the print, not only through the fine lines meticulously etched into the plate, but also in the wider social context of printmaking. It was a means of circulating images widely, making art accessible beyond the elite, reflecting broader shifts in labor, politics, and consumption. It’s a reminder that even seemingly simple images carry layers of meaning tied to materials, making, and cultural context, blurring the lines between craft and fine art.