Vedetta [Il gentiluomo] (The Lookout [The Gentleman]) 1874

Giovanni Battista Quadrone created this print, "Vedetta [Il gentiluomo]," using etching, a process with a fascinating social history. The image’s linear quality comes from the etching technique: the artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then drawn through the coating to expose the metal. Immersing the plate in acid would bite away at the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. The texture of the wall behind the gentleman speaks to the amount of labor involved in the production process. Each line had to be drawn and etched, slowly building up the image, mirroring the way a stonemason might build a wall stone by stone. It also reflects a society built on the backs of the working class. Paying attention to process helps us understand how this image invites reflection on labor, class, and the means of production.