Jonge bedelaar staand voor een man in een venster 1844

Charles Jacque made this etching, titled 'Young beggar standing in front of a man in a window,' using metal and acid. The etching process allows for a high level of detail, seen here in the cross-hatched lines that create tone and shadow. Jacque would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratched the image into the ground with a needle. Immersing the plate in acid then bites into the exposed metal, creating lines that hold ink. The material’s capacity for reproduction speaks to broader social issues of labor and class. This image captures a moment of economic disparity, and the material itself allows for the mass production of such commentary. The etching technique, with its roots in craft, becomes a tool for social observation. The inherent qualities of the etched line – its precision and replicability – give the artwork its power. It reminds us that materials and making are central to understanding an artwork's meaning.