Portrait of Henry IV 1817

This is François Gérard’s portrait of Henry IV, etched into a sheet of paper. The linear quality of the work is entirely dependent on the way an etching is made, as lines are bitten into a metal plate with acid, then filled with ink and transferred to paper. You might think of etching as a kind of proto-photocopying, a way of disseminating images widely, in multiples, like printed money. Etchings like this one were often made after paintings, as a way of further enhancing the artist’s reputation. The process requires a collaboration between artists and printers, each with distinct skills. Consider the sheer labour involved in this kind of image production. Each impression would have required the printer to re-ink the plate, carefully lay the paper, and run it through a press. This division of labour highlights the way that art is always produced through social and economic networks. Appreciating the craft involved helps us to think about art in a more grounded way.