I sommertiden 1881

This small print, *I sommertiden*, of unknown date, was made anonymously using etching. This is an intaglio printmaking technique where the artist uses acid to cut into a metal plate, in this case likely copper or zinc. The fine, precise lines you see are achieved by coating the plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratching an image into that coating. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed metal is eaten away, creating recessed lines. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, it is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The quality of the etched line is what gives the print its distinctive character. It suggests a certain level of refinement and skill, but also a degree of reproducibility, which speaks to the wider social context of printmaking. Was this artist part of a larger workshop, or a lone artisan carefully controlling every step of the process? The print invites us to think about how social networks influence artistic production.