Ghost on the Kandern Road, plate six from Zehn Blätter zu Hebels Alemannischen Gedichten 1820

Sophie Reinhard created this print, Ghost on the Kandern Road, using etching, a printmaking technique that democratized image production in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The etching process involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and then using a needle to draw an image, exposing the metal underneath. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. Think about the labor involved: the skilled hand carefully guiding the etching needle, the repetitive process of inking and printing. Etching allowed for relatively quick reproduction and distribution, making images more accessible to a wider audience. The print hints at the darker side of social changes, with its reference to folklore, superstition, and perhaps a skepticism of Enlightenment rationalism. In this print, we see how artmaking, even in its reproductive forms, reflects broader social and political anxieties.