Study of Standing Woman, Seen from Front 1900

Henri Fantin-Latour made this print, Study of Standing Woman, seen from Front, using etching, a printmaking technique that requires acid to incise the design into a metal plate. The blurry softness of the image comes from the nature of the process, and the artist's choices. The etched line can suggest form, light, and shadow, with varying degrees of precision. Here, Fantin-Latour seems more interested in capturing the delicate essence of the figure than in a precise rendering. Etching's status is interesting; it is relatively indirect and technical, compared to drawing, but it is also more hands-on than photography. It is a process that lends itself to subtle tonalities, but also, it has to be said, mass production. This makes it a particularly appropriate medium for Fantin-Latour, who was interested in exploring the tension between the unique artwork, and the democratizing potential of the print.