Vier monniken in een studeerkamer 1869 - 1898

Auguste Tilly created this print, 'Four Monks in a Study,' using a technique called etching, sometime in the late 19th century. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist then scratches an image into this coating, exposing the metal beneath. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. The longer the plate sits in the acid, the deeper the lines become, and the more ink they hold. The plate is then inked and pressed onto paper. The whole process is labor-intensive and requires precision. The print, with its intricate detail, reveals the significance of labor and knowledge in the creation and dissemination of knowledge. The monks, surrounded by books and tools, participate in the tradition of monastic scholarship, where texts were meticulously copied by hand, before the advent of mechanical printing. By focusing on the material and the making process of etching, we recognize the skilled labor embedded in the artwork, blurring the lines between craft, design, and art.