Gezicht op een bos waarvoor een hond zit 1848 - 1909

Armand Collard made this print of a forest scene, featuring a dog in the foreground, using etching. With etching, an artist covers a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant coating, then scratches an image into that coating. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away. The longer the plate sits in the acid, the deeper the lines become. This allows the artist to create nuances of tone through variations in line weight. Ink is then applied to the etched surface and the plate is pressed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the quality of line that is so characteristic of etching. The artist uses this to good effect to delineate the edges of the trees and foliage, and especially to render the texture of the dog's fur. Ultimately, understanding how this print was made gives us insight into the artistic intentions of Collard, demonstrating his command of a complex, demanding technology.