Vue générale de la Raillère, le pré, le Petit St. Sauveur et le Bain 

This landscape view of the Raillère, the pré, the Petit St. Sauveur and the Bain, was made by Maxime Lalanne, using etching and aquatint. These printing techniques allowed Lalanne to create subtle tonal gradations, seen here in the way the mountains recede into the distance, as well as fine lines that capture the intricate details of the landscape. The labor-intensive processes of etching and aquatint involved coating a metal plate with a waxy ground, drawing through it to expose the metal, and then using acid to bite the lines. Aquatint allowed for broader areas of tone by using resin dust to create a porous surface. The resulting print required technical skill, with both the drawing and the tonal variation. The materiality of the print - the paper, ink, and the etched lines - carries with it the mark of the artist's hand and emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship and attention to detail. In this way, Lalanne elevates printmaking, traditionally seen as a reproductive craft, to the realm of fine art.