Een man en een vrouw verkleden zich voor de spiegel 1779

Louis Bernard Coclers made this etching, “A Man and Woman Dressing in Front of a Mirror,” in 1779. Etching is an indirect process – the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, draws through it to expose the metal, and then bathes the plate in acid, which bites away the drawn lines. You can really see how this process lends itself to the creation of fine, intricate detail in the extravagant wigs, furs, and garments. There’s also an immediacy to the line work; the figures are captured in a private moment of preparation, embracing in a space that could be read as either intimate or performative. This image speaks volumes about the culture of fashion in the late 18th century. Note the labor implied in the construction of these elaborate identities. The figures’ clothing denotes a certain level of societal privilege and access to luxury goods, but is rendered accessible to a wider audience through the print medium. Hopefully, this gives you a sense of how even a humble etching can speak volumes about the larger forces at play in the world.