Stone beach shore 1889

Carl Bloch created this black and white print, *Stone beach shore*, using etching, a printmaking technique that dates back to the Middle Ages. The artist would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance known as the 'ground', exposing the plate by drawing through it with a needle. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, before being inked and printed. The resulting image carries a particular graphic quality, a consequence of the incisive process. The effect here is almost photographic, indicative of the increasing influence of photography at this time, which encouraged artists to explore more direct modes of visual transcription. However, Bloch has selected one of the oldest forms of image production to mimic the effects of the newest. This reminds us that every work of art is situated within a specific ecology of production. Looking closely at how things are made encourages us to expand our definition of art and value the rich histories of craft.