The Father's Leave-Taking 1879

William Holman Hunt made this etching, titled "The Father's Leave-Taking," in 1876. The image is made through a labor-intensive printmaking process, which requires the artist to apply an acid-resistant coating to a metal plate, draw the image, and then etch it in acid. This painstaking technique results in an image with a rich texture and tonal range, which adds to the scene's emotional depth. The Pre-Raphaelites, of whom Hunt was a key member, were deeply concerned with social issues, and often represented the lives of ordinary people. Here, the subject is a mother holding her child, presumably as the father departs for work, in a scene of domestic intimacy. The very process of etching, with its reliance on craft skill and detailed labor, resonates with the everyday work it depicts. By choosing etching, Hunt elevates the depiction of family life to the level of high art. It encourages us to appreciate the value of labor, both in the making of art and in the everyday lives of working people.