Dood paard 1900

This print of a dead horse was made by Pieter Dupont using a process called etching. This is an intaglio printmaking technique where a metal plate is covered in a waxy, acid-resistant layer. The artist scratches an image into this layer with a needle, exposing the metal underneath. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. Once the plate is cleaned, ink is forced into these etched lines, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate, resulting in a print of the image. What’s fascinating here is that the act of etching, with its corrosive bite, echoes the brute realities of animal labor and mortality. The starkness of the image, achieved through skilled manipulation of line and tone, reflects the toil and sacrifice inherent in agrarian life. Dupont challenges conventional notions of art by engaging in the craft of etching. It reminds us that the meanings and significance of this work are deeply intertwined with the materials and processes from which they emerge.