Houtsprokkelaar in bos 1838 - 1863

Frederik Hendrik Weissenbruch made this etching, "Wood Gatherer in the Forest," using a metal plate and acid, sometime in the mid-19th century. It’s a scene of quiet labor. The magic of etching lies in its capacity to capture subtle tonal variations. Weissenbruch would have coated his metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then drawn his composition into it with a needle. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. This painstaking process was repeated to achieve the desired depth and darkness, creating a range of tones. Consider the relationship between the work and the wood gatherer it depicts. The gathering of wood might be necessary work for the wood gatherer’s survival, and Weissenbruch, in turn, is working to document that act. This print asks us to consider the labor involved not just in the scene, but in its creation. It bridges the gap between the lives of everyday people and the world of art, reminding us that all creative practices are rooted in material and labor.