Wooded Landscape with Country Cart, Cottage and Figures 1784 - 1786

This landscape was created by Thomas Gainsborough, likely in the 1780s, using etching. It is made by coating a metal plate with wax, scratching an image into the wax, then dipping the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, leaving an impression. Gainsborough took up etching relatively late in his career. It allowed him to recreate the light effects of his paintings and drawings. In this print, the acid has bitten unevenly into the plate, creating a range of tones and textures. The composition is simple, but the etched lines give a sense of depth and atmosphere. Consider the labor involved in this image, from the man breaking wood in the left corner, to the cottage inhabitants, to the driver of the cart. This scene is not merely picturesque, it presents a view of England as a place of work. Gainsborough has elevated the lives of working people, not usually the subject of fine art, to the level of art. This reflects a growing interest in the lives of ordinary people during the 18th century, and challenges the traditional hierarchy between craft and fine art.