Portret van een onbekende man 1831 - 1900

This portrait of an unknown man was created by Jean-Baptiste Meunier using a technique called etching. This is an involved intaglio process, where the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant coating. The artist then scratches an image into the coating, exposing the bare metal. Finally, the plate is dipped in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating an image that can be printed. The subtle tonal variations you see here are achieved by carefully controlling the depth of the etching, and the pressure of the printing press. Look closely, and you’ll notice the delicacy of the lines, giving the portrait a soft, almost photographic quality. In its time, etching offered a relatively inexpensive way to reproduce images, making art more accessible. Meunier’s artistry is evident in his mastery of the etching process, elevating what could have been a purely commercial technique into a fine art. The amount of work involved in this process is something to appreciate, and challenges any distinction between art and craft.