Man lopend van een trap in een paleis 1796 - 1845

Carl Ludwig Wimmel made this print of a man walking down the stairs of a palace using etching. This process involves biting into a metal plate with acid to create an image. Here, the etched lines form the architecture of the palace, with the man as a mere figure. The fine, precise lines capture the grandeur of the palace, from the arches to the steps, but the figure seems almost incidental. The social context of the time dictates the artist's hand. While the palace exudes wealth and power, the man is small, almost lost in the composition, highlighting the vast difference between the upper class and the working class. It speaks of labor, of the hierarchy of society, and the consumption of space and resources by the privileged. Ultimately, understanding the materials and the making process allows us to see how the artist embeds social commentary within what seems like a simple architectural study, blurring the lines between fine art and social critique.