Spinnenweb met mensachtige spin die een man gevangen heeft 1910

Marcel Roux made this etching, "Spinnenweb met mensachtige spin die een man gevangen heeft," using a metal plate, likely copper or zinc. The artist would have painstakingly drawn an image onto the plate with a sharp needle to expose the metal, before bathing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. The process of etching allowed Roux to achieve incredibly fine detail and subtle gradations of tone. Look at the contrast between the dark, densely worked areas and the light, almost untouched spaces, creating a dramatic effect. The crosshatching builds up the shadows, giving form to the spider's web and the trapped man. The web and the spider become metaphors for entrapment, but also the labor required to create such a complex and intricate construction. Ultimately, this print demonstrates the artist's skill in manipulating the etching process to create a powerful and unsettling image. It’s a great reminder that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, the hand of the artist and the materiality of the medium are crucial to the work's meaning.