Exlibris Fanny Hahn 1908

Otto Ubbelohde made this bookplate for Fanny Hahn using etching, likely sometime around the turn of the 20th century. Etching is an indirect printmaking technique where the image is bitten into a metal plate with acid. Think of it almost like drawing with acid. The depth of the lines determines the amount of ink held, and therefore the darkness of the printed line. The velvety blacks and crisp lines in the image of swans, a distant castle, and a cat reclining in front of a book are evidence of Ubbelohde’s masterful manipulation of the medium. This print wasn’t dashed off; the labor-intensive process involved many steps. Bookplates like this were often commissioned by wealthy people. They are a reminder that even seemingly simple works on paper are the product of artistic labor, skilled technique, and a culture of consumption. By attending to the making of this bookplate, we recognize the web of social and economic relations in which all art is embedded.