Zelfportret 1882

This self-portrait by Gerard Jan Bos is rendered through etching, a printmaking technique that uses acid to create lines in a metal plate, which are then inked and printed. The network of finely bitten lines gives the image its character; the artist is able to suggest the weight of the sitter’s head in his hand, the soft texture of his hair, and the fall of light across his brow. Etching emerged as a favored process for artists in the 17th century, and Bos was participating in a revival of the technique. Consider the labor involved; each of those marks had to be deliberately made. The image hints at the artist’s inner state but also testifies to a process of slow, deliberate making. Paying attention to the intersection of materials, making, and context allows us to go beyond the surface of an image, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.