Kunstenaars werken naar schilderijen in het Louvre in Parijs 1859 - 1860

Léopold Flameng made this print of artists at work in the Louvre in Paris, using a process called etching. It’s a technique rooted in craft, where a metal plate is coated with wax, and then scratched with a needle to expose the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. The appeal of etching lies in its capacity for detail, seen here in the elaborate costumes of the visitors and the scaffolding used by copyists. But the image is more than just a record of a scene. It’s about the democratization of art. Instead of original masterpieces, these artists are producing copies, making art more accessible to a wider audience. The labor-intensive nature of both painting and printmaking invites us to consider the value we place on skill, and the hierarchies we build around artistic practices. Flameng’s etching challenges the traditional distinction between high art and craft, by elevating a process of reproduction to an art form in itself.