En hundredårig olding 1837

This is J.V. Gertner's "En hundredårig olding", a 19th-century print created using etching, a process demanding careful labor. The image is born from the intimate relationship between the artist, the metal plate, and acid. First, the plate is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. Gertner then meticulously scratched away the coating with a sharp needle, exposing the metal beneath. The plate was submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The depth of these grooves dictated the darkness of the lines in the final print. Ink was applied to the plate, pressed onto paper, and revealed the striking portrait. Look closely, and you can see the accumulation of labor; the cross-hatching that builds the deep shadows of the background and the old man's face. The lines evoke a sense of weight and texture, emphasizing the sitter's advanced age and the weight of his years. This was skilled work, that translated into an accessible image for mass consumption. By emphasizing the materiality and process behind this print, we recognize its connection to a broader world of labor, politics, and artistic skill, challenging traditional notions of fine art.