En jagthund 1869

This print, *En jagthund*, was made by Frede Aamodt, using a technique called etching, to create an image of a hunting dog. The etcher covers a metal plate with a waxy ground. The artist then scratches an image into that surface, exposing the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away. This leaves an image in the surface of the plate, which can then be inked and printed. Consider the labor involved in this relatively indirect way of making an image. Aamodt created this print at a time when new technologies of mechanical reproduction were emerging, which called into question the status of handcraft. And of course, there's the dog itself, bred for labor, though of a different kind. Thinking about the materials, processes, and social context allows us to appreciate the skill and artistry that went into its creation, challenging traditional notions of art.