Landschap met runderen en een figuur blazend op een hoorn 1874

Paul Emile Nicolie made this landscape with cattle and a figure blowing a horn using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on corrosive acids. Nicolie would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then drawn his composition, exposing the metal beneath. The plate was then submerged in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, dampened paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the ink to create the print we see here. The material nature of the etching process lends itself to capturing the pastoral scene with its textural elements, which beautifully evokes the rough landscape and cloudy sky. It’s a reminder of the labor invested in both art and agriculture, challenging any easy distinction between the two. The print is not just an image; it is also the result of skilled work.