View of the Basilica of St. Sebastian outside the Walls in Rome on the Appian Way 

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created this etching of the Basilica of St. Sebastian in Rome. He was a master printmaker, and the etching process was central to his artistry. Etching involves coating a metal plate with wax, scratching a design into the wax, and then immersing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating lines that hold ink. Piranesi likely used copper, prized for its ability to hold fine detail. The texture of the print is determined by the depth and density of the etched lines, a physical record of the artist's hand and the corrosive action of the acid. This technique allowed for a level of detail that was highly valued in Piranesi's time, but required significant labor and skill. The resulting prints could be reproduced and sold widely, participating in a growing market for images that fueled both artistic expression and capitalist enterprise. It challenges any easy separation of "fine art" from craft, labor, and social context.