Boeddhistische tempel in Ho Chi Minh Stad 1874

This print of a Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City was made by Henri Alexandre Saffrey using a technique called etching. Etching involves drawing with a sharp needle on a metal plate coated with wax. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the metal where the wax has been removed, creating lines. Ink is applied to the etched lines, and the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The print captures the temple’s intricate architectural details, from the tiled roof to the ornate carvings. What’s interesting is that while the temple itself would have been made by skilled artisans, employing carpentry and other craft traditions, Saffrey used a mechanised, industrial process to reproduce its image. The sharp, precise lines of the etching highlight the contrast between the hand-crafted temple and the industrialized method of its depiction. This contrast prompts us to consider how printmaking democratizes art, making images more accessible, while also distancing us from the original, handcrafted object and the labor involved in its creation.