Baptism (Le bapteme) 

Alphonse Legros made this etching, Baptism, using metal plate, acid, and ink. The artist incised lines onto a metal plate, which was then submerged in acid to eat away at the exposed lines, allowing it to hold ink. Ink was applied to the plate and then wiped away from the surface, remaining only in the etched lines. The act of pulling an impression from the plate is labor-intensive, and the nature of the medium results in a distinct visual texture. The density of the cross-hatching describes light and shadow, and defines the forms of the figures. The scene offers a glimpse into the material conditions of rural 19th-century French society. The ritual of baptism, a potent symbol of communal identity, is captured through the medium of printmaking, a technology that democratized the distribution of images. By emphasizing the materiality and process of printmaking, Legros elevates the status of a medium often regarded as secondary to painting or sculpture.