Portret van Josephine, keizerin der Fransen 1811

Jacob Ernst Marcus created this portrait of Josephine, Empress of the French, using the technique of etching. It's essentially a printed image, made by drawing into a metal plate with a sharp needle, then applying acid to bite away the exposed lines. The resulting incised image is then inked and printed, transferring the design onto paper. This process allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, and helped to spread ideas and imagery widely. Think about the social context: Josephine's image, meticulously rendered, becomes a commodity, circulated among the populace. The print flattens the original; it diminishes the scale of the image. Yet the technique of etching, with its reliance on skilled hand-work, is paradoxically labor-intensive, even as it democratizes the image. It prompts us to consider the relationship between labor, technology, and the construction of celebrity. Ultimately, understanding the material and the making of this image is crucial to grasp its full cultural significance.