Rest on the Flight into Egypt 1865

Rodolphe Bresdin made this print, "Rest on the Flight into Egypt," using a process called etching. This involves covering a metal plate with a waxy ground, scratching an image into it, and then bathing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, leaving behind incised lines. Ink is then applied and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines, before printing. Look closely, and you'll see the way the density of those lines creates the image. Bresdin was a master of detail, conjuring an entire landscape out of these marks. There is incredible labor involved in this technique; you can see the level of skill and dedication in every stroke. Printing has always been linked to democratization, making images and information widely available. Yet, the time and skill to make this kind of print made it more of a rarefied commodity. When you look at an etching, remember that it's not just an image; it's the result of a demanding, specialized process, a testament to both artistic vision and the history of labor.