Solitude c. 19th century

This is Edith Loring Peirce's print, *Solitude*. It was made using the intaglio process, a printmaking technique that relies on the skillful manipulation of metal. The image begins as a smooth copper plate. Peirce would have used specialized tools to incise lines into the surface of the plate, creating the image in reverse. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, damp paper is pressed against the plate with great force, transferring the ink to create the print. The subtle gradations of tone in *Solitude* are achieved through careful control of the etching process. The artist would have worked with acids of varying strengths to achieve a range of depths in the etched lines, which hold differing amounts of ink. The result is a tonal range of depth that conveys the quiet stillness of the landscape. Peirce's print reminds us that the most profound beauty can be found not just in the image itself, but in the skill and labor involved in bringing it to life.