Sejlene i tåget vejr 1849

Vilhelm Kyhn created this etching, "Sails in Foggy Weather," using a metal plate and strong acid. The image is built from a dense mesh of tiny etched lines that describe tone and texture. To make the work, Kyhn would have coated the plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then drawn his image into that surface with a sharp needle. Next, he submerged the plate in an acid bath. This bit through the exposed metal, creating incised lines capable of holding ink. Finally, he would have applied ink to the plate, wiped the surface clean, and run it through a printing press to transfer the image to paper. The resulting print has a beautiful tonality, with a rich visual feel, and the scene captures a sense of the industrial revolution, the labor of sailors, and the impact of commerce. Kyhn's skilled technique, combined with the inherent qualities of etching, imbues the artwork with a sense of atmosphere and depth. This piece serves as a reminder that art is not just about the final image, but also about the materials, the making, and the wider world in which it was created.