Dieren 1833 - 1856

This print, Dieren, was made by Glenisson & Van Genechten, using a method called etching, then printed and colored. The animals – a bull, horse, elephant and lion – are defined by clear, precise lines. These weren't drawn directly onto the plate; instead, a waxy ground was applied, then scratched through. The entire plate would have been submerged in acid, biting away the exposed metal. The longer the plate stayed in the acid, the deeper and darker the resulting lines would be. The coloring was applied by hand, a labor-intensive process that would have been divided among workers in a print shop. The result is a series of animal portraits, with the bold lines and bright colors making each creature pop. Consider the amount of work involved in the production process, from the initial design to the final, hand-colored print. It’s a wonderful example of how traditional techniques can be combined with emerging printmaking technology to create affordable, appealing images for a growing public.