Three Little Girls in a Room Arguing and Spitting 1835 - 1903

Lorenz Frølich created this etching, "Three Little Girls in a Room Arguing and Spitting," employing techniques rooted in the tradition of printmaking. Look closely and you'll see how the material influences the appearance of the work. The incised lines, created by acid biting into a metal plate, give form to the artist’s subject matter, giving it a lively spontaneity. The artist has used closely spaced hatching and cross-hatching to create different values and textures, and to depict the children’s emotional states. The making of etchings like this speaks to the culture of 19th century printmaking, which democratized images and made them available to a wider audience. Printmaking allowed for mass production and circulation, and the depiction of everyday scenes like this one, tapped into the burgeoning market for genre scenes and popular imagery. By focusing on the materials, the making, and the cultural context, we gain a deeper understanding of the art, and challenge the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft.