Masonic Temple, Boston 1832

This print, Masonic Temple, Boston, was made by Benjamin F. Nutting. The medium is listed as aquatint on paper, a process that chemically etches an image onto a metal plate, which is then used to print the image. Aquatint, like etching, allows for a wide tonal range, and as you can see, Nutting has used this to great effect. Look closely, and you will see that the architecture is rendered with careful detail. Consider the work involved: the preparation of the plate, the precise timing of the acid bath, the inking and printing. The very evenness of tone gives this image its coolly objective quality, as if this is less a work of art and more a document, fit for an architect’s office. But of course, it is both. Nutting reminds us that even something as seemingly straightforward as an architectural rendering is the product of skilled labor, marrying technical expertise with artistic vision. This artwork invites us to think about the relationship between craft, industry, and art.