Fruit Seller 1843

Charles Jacque made this etching, "Fruit Seller," using a metal plate, acid, and ink. Etching is an indirect process. The artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratches an image into it with a needle. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. After the ground is removed, the plate is inked, and then wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. The plate is then pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The strength of the lines and tones depends on the depth of the etched lines and the amount of ink left on the plate. Jacque's skill with etching transforms a mundane scene into a study of labor and exchange. The technique, rooted in craft, elevates the everyday lives of ordinary people, blurring the lines between fine art and the realities of working-class existence.