Omslag voor 29 prenten met landschappen, stadsgezichten en figuren en 6 tekstbladen 1880

This portfolio, made in 1880 by the widow of Alfred Cadart in Paris, is an unassuming object with great resonance. The cover itself is bound in deep red cloth, with a gold-lettered title indicating that inside, we find prints created through the etching process. Etching, or eau-forte in French, involves biting into a metal plate with acid, then using it as a matrix to produce multiple images on paper. Here, we have the work of thirty artists, contained within a single volume. The portfolio's dimensions speak to the scale of industrial production, as it facilitated the circulation of art to a wider audience. The very act of binding these prints together changes our perception of them. Once discrete works of art, they're now chapters in a larger story. It transforms individual etchings into a collective statement, blurring the lines between individual expression and a shared cultural experience. The portfolio’s materiality reminds us that art is not just about individual genius, but also about the social and economic structures that enable its creation and distribution.