Oude man met mand 1856 - 1897

Henri-Charles Guérard made this print, "Old Man with Basket," using etching, a process closely associated with the rise of industrial capitalism. To create an etching, the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, scratches an image into it, and then immerses the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating lines that hold ink. Guérard would have repeatedly refined his image with a variety of tools, and then printed it onto paper. The print's rough, sketchy quality reflects both the speed of modern life, and also the lived experience of the man depicted. His labor and toil, carrying a heavy basket, are etched into his very posture. Guérard uses the visual language of labor to convey the realities of urban life and the experience of the working class. By embracing techniques associated with mass production, while representing everyday subject matter, Guérard challenged traditional hierarchies of art, inviting us to find beauty and meaning in unexpected places.