Jongeman slaat sjaal om de schouders van zijn geliefde 1828

Henri-Gérard Fontallard created this print, “Young man drapes a shawl around his beloved’s shoulders,” using etching and possibly some hand-coloring. The figures are crisply delineated with fine lines, a real contrast to the soft and atmospheric landscape around them. The etching process itself, demanding precise control of the tools, would have required considerable skill. The artist would cover a metal plate with wax, then scratch an image into it with a needle. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold the ink. The pressure of the printing press then transfers the image to paper. There’s a lot of careful labor involved in this type of image-making, a world away from the speed of mechanical reproduction. It is a craft process used to produce an image for popular consumption. It reflects how traditional making methods were being adapted to a society that was increasingly driven by consumerism and mass media. It shows how a culture embraces both industrial advancement, and handcrafted care.