Stadhuis van Oudenaarde 1888

James Ensor made this etching of the Stadhuis van Oudenaarde, or Town Hall of Oudenaarde, using metal, acid and paper. An etching begins with a metal plate covered in a waxy ground. The artist scratches away the ground, then submerges the plate in acid, which bites into the exposed metal. The incised lines hold ink, allowing the image to be printed onto paper. The amount of labor involved in this process is considerable. But it is not the labor of mass production. Instead, etching demands a deliberate, painstaking approach, a rhythm of considered action. In this way, the relatively humble medium of etching contrasts sharply with the grandeur of the architecture it depicts. The Town Hall itself represents civic authority and collective effort, manifested in stone and mortar. Ensor's print offers a more intimate engagement, a kind of intellectual possession of the building. It invites us to consider how different modes of production shape our experience and understanding of the world around us.