Oude man met ketting en boek 1756 - 1774

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo made this etching of an old man with chain and book sometime in the late 18th century. The image was created by incising lines into a metal plate, inking it, and pressing it onto paper. Etching is an indirect process that involves biting lines into the plate with acid. Look closely and you can see a network of fine, precise lines, carefully modulated to create tone and texture, with the hatching marks defining the form of the sitter. The very deliberate process allows for the replication of the work, contributing to the spread of knowledge and artistic ideas during the Age of Enlightenment. The choice of etching, rather than painting, suggests a desire to engage with a broader audience through print culture, and perhaps a subtle democratization of art. So, the next time you look at an etching, consider not just the image, but the meticulous labor and social context embedded in its making.