The hayymaker 

Camille Pissarro made this etching of rural laborers using a metal plate, acid, and ink. The image shows a group of women, their bodies bent in the repetitive labor of haymaking. The etching process is laborious. First, the artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, then draws through it, exposing the metal. When dipped in acid, lines are etched into the plate. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the image. The network of lines gives the image a grainy texture, conveying the rough, physical nature of the work. Pissarro’s choice of subject matter – working-class women – reflects a broader interest in social realism. By depicting these women with dignity and respect, Pissarro elevates their status, challenging the traditional hierarchy of art that favored historical and mythological subjects. Here we see how a printmaking process, traditionally considered a 'minor' art, can powerfully convey social issues. It encourages us to appreciate the skill involved, and to see the connection between artistic technique and the representation of labor.