Oude dame met rozenkrans tussen gevouwen handen 1887

Louise Danse created this delicate image of an old woman with a rosary from an etching, a printmaking technique that requires both technical skill and artistry. The print begins with a metal plate, likely copper or zinc, which is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist then scratches an image into the wax, exposing the metal. When dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating incised lines on the plate. This plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Here, Danse uses this process to capture a quiet moment of contemplation. The fine, precise lines create subtle tonal variations, lending depth and texture to the woman's simple garments and aged features. In its way, etching is a distinctly modern medium: a means of indirect, almost mechanical reproduction, with the artist at one remove from the final image. Yet here, the result is an intimate portrait of faith and quiet perseverance.