Automne 1888

Félix Bracquemond created this etching called Automne, using a painstaking intaglio process to produce the striking tonal range and fine detail we see here. To make this print, Bracquemond would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, before drawing his image into that layer with a sharp needle, exposing the metal underneath. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating incised grooves. Finally, ink was forced into these grooves and the surface wiped clean, allowing the image to be transferred to paper under high pressure. The result is not just an image, but a record of labor. Consider the time Bracquemond invested in this incredibly skillful process, a process which was itself a product of industrialization, enabling the wide distribution of images. Looking closely, one can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the plate, transforming base materials through skilled work. This challenges the traditional hierarchy separating artistic vision from the means of production.