Reciterende vrouw c. 1965 - 1980

Aat Verhoog created this etching, Reciterende vrouw, which translates to Reciting Woman, using metal, acid, and ink. Verhoog’s delicate cross-hatching gives the scene a soft, dreamlike quality. The etching process is labor intensive. The artist carefully draws an image onto a metal plate covered with a waxy ground. Then, acid is used to bite into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The plate is inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. This printmaking technique, born out of the industrial revolution, democratized image production, allowing for multiples. In this image, the fine lines, the textures, and the subtle gradations of tone all contribute to the mood. The figures appear on stage, acting out a scene, and the image is one of theater and performance. The print is an artwork, but also exists as one of many, blurring the boundaries between art and commodity, production and reproduction.