Portret van onbekende dame met horloge in hand 1802 - 1855

Carl Cristiaan Fuchs created this miniature portrait of an unknown lady sometime before his death in 1855, using the technique of etching. Think of the artist carefully drawing into a wax ground covering a metal plate, which is then submerged in acid. The fine lines of the etching give the portrait a delicate, almost ephemeral quality. Note the texture he creates on the woman's elaborate sleeves and bodice. This level of detail speaks to the engraver's skill, and would have taken a considerable amount of time and labor. The watch she holds is no accident, it's a status symbol, underscoring her place within a rising merchant class. The curtain and pillars in the background are part of the language of portraiture, but the watch situates this lady specifically in the rising mercantile class, where time is of the essence. Considering the meticulous work that went into this etching, we realize that it, too, is a product of its time, reflective of a culture that increasingly valued both skill and efficiency. Hopefully, considering the labor embedded in this little print will encourage you to think beyond conventional hierarchies of art.