Landschap met grazend vee en konijnen 1875

Charles-François Daubigny created this landscape with grazing cattle and rabbits using etching, a printmaking technique that democratized artmaking in its time. The process involves covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratching an image into that ground with a sharp needle. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. These grooves hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under pressure in a printing press. The result is a mirror image of the original design. While etching allowed for the easy reproduction of images, it also demanded a high degree of skill. Daubigny’s attention to the texture of the landscape, from the rough grasses to the soft sky, demonstrates his mastery of the medium. The print also speaks to a growing interest in rural life. As cities industrialized, more and more artists turned to the countryside for inspiration. Daubigny’s print reminds us that even seemingly simple images are the result of complex processes, skill, and social context. By attending to these elements, we can gain a deeper understanding of the art and its place in the world.