Vrouw voor een deur 1822 - 1880

Reinier Craeyvanger made this etching of a woman at a door sometime in the 19th century. Etching is an printmaking technique that involves using acid to cut into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. Look closely, and you can see the dense cross-hatching used to create the deep shadows. This texture is characteristic of the etching process, which allows for fine lines and subtle tonal gradations. The image is stark, drawing the viewer's eye to the woman, and the handle she is holding. Her figure is shrouded in shadow, anonymous. In this way, Craeyvanger calls attention to the laboring classes, so often unseen. The artist’s choice of the etching process speaks volumes, and connects this artwork to a much wider world of labor and production. We are reminded that both making and viewing art are entwined with social realities.