Toilet of Thetis 1610 - 1642

Pierre Brebiette made this print, Toilet of Thetis, in the 17th century, using etching on paper. The fineness of the etched line allows Brebiette to create a scene of complex fantasy. Look closely, and you can see the way he varies the density of the lines to build up tone, and suggest depth. The process of etching requires a metal plate to be covered with a waxy ground. The artist then scratches an image into the ground with a needle, exposes the plate to acid, and finally prints the image. The result is an intimate, almost furtive image, one that invites close inspection. It's easy to imagine the artist, alone in his studio, carefully controlling every mark. This contrasts sharply with the scene's overt eroticism, which shows classical figures bathing. In Brebiette’s hands, the graphic medium allows a tension between private labor and public display. It reminds us that all images, no matter how apparently effortless, are the result of painstaking, skilled work.