Fording a River (Le gue) 

Alphonse Legros created this print, "Fording a River", using etching. It's an intaglio process where a metal plate, usually copper, is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist then draws through this coating, exposing the metal. When the plate is immersed in acid, it bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, it’s pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The character of the lines in "Fording a River" directly results from the artist's hand and the action of the acid. The varying depths and thicknesses convey a sense of light and shadow, volume, and texture. It feels very immediate, as though we are looking at a quick sketch, yet the labor involved in preparing the plate and printing it would have been considerable. This tension between effort and effect is crucial to the print's appeal, blurring the lines between fine art and skilled craft.