Leeuw 1874

Curator: This is Auguste André Lancon's "Leeuw", created in 1874. The piece is an etching on paper. Editor: My first impression is one of quiet power. The restrained use of ink creates such a sense of dignity for this animal. Curator: It's fascinating how Lancon achieves that. Notice the carefully controlled lines in the lion's mane, contrasting with the looser hatching that suggests the rocky landscape. The interplay of light and shadow, created solely with the etching technique, defines the very form. Editor: I'm struck by how the printmaking process impacts the final image. Consider the labour involved in the etching. The lines wouldn't appear on the plate without dedicated, precise labor with acids and tools. And how this work is necessarily multiplied. This work would appear very differently as a single drawing on one piece of paper. Curator: Precisely. The repetition inherent in printmaking alters the ontology of the image, wouldn’t you agree? And how that reproducible form facilitates wider distribution and thus, a shift in meaning-making. Consider how that impacts perception and accessibility. Editor: Yes, and also the class and economic dynamics at play. Etchings like this provided wider access to imagery. In terms of the depicted labor and materiality, the emphasis of the print on paper reflects how working class identity was increasingly shaped by paper documents of work, immigration, and urban regulation during the 19th Century. Curator: It's compelling how the meticulous technique elevates what might otherwise be a simple animal portrait. There is a formalism to this piece that speaks of restrained strength. It has a timeless quality, don’t you think? Editor: I see how the process becomes intrinsic to the artistic statement— the very means of production affecting how the artwork relates to contemporary realities of power, access, and labour. Curator: The artist, in meticulously scratching lines to bring forth an image of a regal beast has brought forward new dimensions of analysis in turn. Editor: Exactly, and how Lancon's artistic labor here adds its unique perspective to the ever-evolving discourse of visual creation and consumption.