Italiaanse vrouw op een hoek van de straat met breinaalden 1833 - 1870

Auguste Numans made this small print of an Italian woman with etching, a process typically used for mass production. The image depicts a woman in traditional clothing, pausing in her knitting. Look closely, and you can see the myriad tiny lines that build up the overall image. These lines are made by drawing into a wax-coated metal plate, which is then bathed in acid to eat away the exposed metal. The plate is inked, and then printed onto paper. While etching is an indirect process, it can still capture the nuances of the artist's hand. Numans has used the technique to create a sense of depth and texture, from the soft folds of the woman's clothing to the rough surface of the wall behind her. The act of knitting itself is also significant. A humble, repetitive task, it speaks to the daily lives of ordinary people. By elevating this scene to the level of fine art, Numans asks us to consider the value of labor, and the beauty that can be found in the everyday.