En hest 1826 - 1893

Johan Frederik Rosenstand created this print of a horse, sometime in the 19th century. It's a relatively small work, made using a technique called engraving. The magic of engraving lies in the way the artist coaxes an image from a hard surface, in this case most likely a copper plate. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to incise lines directly into the metal, each one catching ink to create the image. The crispness of the lines, and the subtle gradations of tone, speak to Rosenstand’s mastery of the technique. Engraving like this was not just a means of artistic expression, but also a reproductive technology. It allowed images to be disseminated widely, contributing to a visual culture fueled by industry and commerce. The very act of creating this print, therefore, places it at the intersection of art, craft, and the burgeoning industrial processes of the 19th century. Appreciating this context helps us see the image not just as a depiction, but as an object embedded in a specific moment of social and technological change.