Poort van het kasteel van Burgos 1877

This print, made by Sir Francis Seymour Haden in 1877, captures the gate of the castle in Burgos through the technique of etching. Haden, trained as a surgeon, was fascinated by the craft of printmaking, a decidedly democratic medium. Etching involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist then scratches an image into this coating, exposing the metal. When the plate is dipped in acid, lines are eaten away where the metal is bare. This creates grooves that hold ink, which is then transferred to paper. The deep, dark lines you see here were achieved through this careful, time-intensive process, a stark contrast to the speed of industrial production. The very act of etching requires a slowing down, a focused attention to detail that brings a unique character to the image. It transforms a scene into something more considered. Thinking about the way things are made helps us appreciate the skill and labor involved in their creation. It invites us to consider how art intersects with broader social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. Haden was consciously embracing the ethos of craft.