Bosweg bij een vijfer met eenden c. 1847 - 1892

This etching, "Bosweg bij een vijfer met eenden" or "Forest Road by a Pond with Ducks," was made by Jan Bos Wz. in the Netherlands. It’s a traditional print, made by incising lines into a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. What I find interesting here is the amount of work involved in the production process. With this technique, the artist would have had to laboriously create the image by hand, using a tool to physically remove slivers of metal. The composition is a peaceful landscape, but the process of creating the print was anything but idyllic. Consider the relationship between the image and its mode of production. This type of printmaking was well-established by the 19th century. It had a specific set of aesthetic conventions and a built-in relationship to the wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. Understanding all these factors allows us to fully appreciate the meaning of the artwork and challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.