Kardinaal en bisschop bestuderen een boek 1879

This small print, “Cardinal and Bishop Studying a Book,” was made by Joseph Dujardin using etching. This intaglio process involves applying a protective wax resist to a metal plate, then drawing an image through it with a sharp needle, exposing the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. The longer the plate remains in the acid bath, the deeper the lines will be. This print’s subtle tonalities and fine details speak to the skill of the artist, and the repetitive, painstaking labor involved. Look closely, and you can see the weave of the clerics’ robes, and the delicate modeling of their faces. The acid eats away at the metal in subtle variations. Prints like this one were often made to disseminate imagery, in effect mass-producing it for consumption. So while the print medium is not unique, it is through the artist’s labor and skill, and close attention to the material possibilities of etching, that its potential is fulfilled. Dujardin elevates the medium of printmaking to the level of fine art.