Hoofd van een jong kind, naar links gekeerd c. 1766

This print, Head of a Young Child, was made by Pierre Charles Ingouf around the late 18th century. Ingouf wasn't working with paint or clay, but with a metal plate, likely copper, and acid. He used a technique called etching, where lines are bitten into the metal by acid, then filled with ink and printed. Look closely at the image. Notice how the varying densities of etched lines create light and shadow, giving form to the child's face and hair. The crispness of the lines captures the textures of the soft curls and smooth skin. Etching, unlike painting, is a process of reproduction. Prints like these were relatively affordable, making art accessible to a wider audience beyond the wealthy elite. They were part of a burgeoning market for images, reflecting the changing social landscape of the time. The very act of creating and distributing prints speaks to the democratization of art.