Engel vaart in een boot tussen het groen 1830 - 1880

Adolphe Mouilleron created this print of an angel in a boat using etching, a method of printmaking dating back to the Middle Ages. Etching involves using acid to cut into a metal plate, usually copper or zinc, to create a design. The plate is covered with a waxy, acid-resistant substance called a ground, and the artist scratches the design through the ground, exposing the metal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which eats away at the exposed metal, creating lines. The longer the plate remains in the acid, the deeper the lines become. Once the etching is complete, the ground is removed, and the plate is inked. The ink is wiped off the surface, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, a damp piece of paper is placed on the plate, and both are run through a printing press, transferring the ink from the etched lines to the paper, creating the print. The artist’s skillful manipulation of line and tone, achieved through the etching process, imbues this work with a dreamlike quality. Considering the labor and skill involved in creating this print reminds us that even seemingly simple images carry a rich history of making.