Lænkegrisen 1845

Adolph Kittendorff made this print, Lænkegrisen, using etching, a process dating back to the Middle Ages. The image is built up through the controlled corrosion of a metal plate, using acid. The resulting lines hold ink, which is then transferred to paper. Kittendorff expertly uses this technique to depict a pig, chained near its trough. The etching process, with its emphasis on line, allows for a detailed rendering of the pig's form, as well as the rough textures of the surrounding environment. Look closely at the pig's bristly hair, and the rugged stonework to which it is tethered. Prints like these were relatively inexpensive and were made in multiples, so they circulated widely. The image gives us a glimpse into 19th-century rural life and the economic realities of animal husbandry. Etching, here, moves beyond the realm of fine art, becoming a tool for social commentary and documentation.