Langdysse ved Gunderslevholm skov 1862

A.P. Madsen created this print of a stone age burial site, using etching in 1882. Etching allows for incredible detail, achieved here through the fine lines which build up to describe the forms of the stones and trees. The stark black and white enhances the sense of light filtering through the forest. But the process of etching also adds meaning. It's a labor-intensive technique, requiring the artist to painstakingly draw into a coated metal plate, which is then bathed in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. The plate is then printed, transferring the image to paper. This laborious process contrasts with the subject matter: a megalithic structure built by ancient people, also through immense physical effort. The artist's careful work mirrors the work of those who raised these stones millennia ago, forging a connection across time through the act of making. Appreciating the craft of the print reminds us of the human effort embedded in both the image and the site it depicts.