Hond bijt in de poot van een fazant 1859

Paul Emile Nicolie made this etching, *Dog biting a Pheasant’s Leg,* sometime in the 19th century. Etching is an indirect method of engraving, and relies on the chemical action of acid to make lines in a metal plate. The plate is inked, and then the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. It is then printed, under great pressure, onto paper. Note the crisp, precise lines that define the forms. This kind of tonal exactitude was prized in the 19th century, when making technologies were seen as a demonstration of technical and scientific achievement. Yet, this print doesn’t just show those qualities. There’s a certain tension in the image, between the qualities of the medium, and the scene depicted. Etching can be very precise, yet here we see the dynamism of the hunting scene, and the raw energy of nature. Considering this contrast encourages us to ask where the boundaries of fine art and craft lie, and whether they are so different after all.