Head of old man with turban 

This etching, Head of Old Man with Turban, was created by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in the 18th century, using a metal plate and strong acid. Piranesi would have covered a copper plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then drawn into it with a sharp needle. This would expose the metal, allowing acid to bite into the lines. The longer the plate sat in the acid, the deeper the lines. The blurry lines of the beard suggest the plate was submerged multiple times to get such a strong tonal variation. The myriad lines evoke not just the visual texture of the man's face and turban, but also the labor involved in their creation. The etched lines almost seem to mimic the warp and weft of a woven textile. This speaks to a central tension in Piranesi’s work; while celebrated as fine art, his prints depended on highly skilled, time-consuming manual processes. So, by considering the making, we can appreciate the skill involved and challenge the traditional divide between art and craft.