Gezicht op de Porte d'Havré te Mons 1875

This print, "Gezicht op de Porte d'Havré te Mons," was made by Léon Dolez, using etching – a printmaking technique that relies on acid to bite lines into a metal plate. The appearance of this artwork is deeply influenced by the etching process itself. Dolez would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then drawn his composition through this coating with a sharp needle. When the plate was immersed in acid, the exposed lines would be etched, creating grooves that would hold ink. The image is brought to life through the act of wiping ink across the plate, pressing paper onto its surface, and transferring the composition. The lines in the image are rendered by the artist's hand and acid’s work; the character of this work speaks of a collaboration between the artist and industrial means. By understanding the labor-intensive processes behind this print, we can appreciate the ways in which it challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.