Italiensk landarbejder. Sora 1880

Peder Severin Krøyer made this etching of an Italian farm worker in Sora, Italy, likely in 1880. The immediacy of line, the hatching and cross-hatching, convey the man’s features and textures of his hat and shirt. Etching is an indirect process, demanding planning and skill. The artist would first have prepared a metal plate with a waxy ground, then used a sharp needle to draw through it, exposing the metal. Dipping the plate in acid then bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink is applied to the plate, pressed to the paper, and then transferred with force. This printmaking technique allowed Krøyer to produce multiple impressions of his artwork. As an artist known for his paintings, Krøyer here engages in printmaking as a means of capturing an image of a worker. This portrait offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people, elevating their status through the artmaking process. It’s through the material handling that Krøyer reveals the cultural significance of labor.