Boulevard du Temple à minuit, from Tirage Unique de Trente-Six Bois Possibly 1863 - 1920

"Boulevard du Temple à minuit" is a wood engraving by Charles Maurand. The image is created by carving a design into a block of wood, inking the surface, and pressing it onto paper. Wood engraving allows for fine detail and sharp contrasts, something usually found in metal engraving. Here, the material qualities influence the somber atmosphere of the scene. It captures a crowd with nervous anticipation, and a distinctive texture that enhances the mood. The process of wood engraving is labor-intensive, requiring skilled craftsmanship. In Maurand’s time, printmaking was becoming increasingly industrialized, serving popular needs through newspapers. But wood engraving maintained its status as a hand skill. Consider this image as evidence of the intimate relationship between labor, material, and artistic expression, blurring boundaries between fine art and craft.