Woman at a Window, Reading a Letter c. 1813

Sir David Wilkie created this etching, *Woman at a Window, Reading a Letter*, using metal and acid. The image is realized by incising lines into a metal plate with a sharp needle, which is then submerged in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating recessed lines that hold ink. The plate is then pressed onto paper, transferring the image. This intaglio printmaking technique, a skilled, labor-intensive process, allows for detailed and reproducible images. The density of lines creates tone, and the overall impression is of a domestic scene viewed intimately. The material qualities of the etching – the crispness of the lines, the delicate tonal range – lend a sense of immediacy to the scene. Wilkie, trained as a painter, made relatively few prints, but this one shows his deft handling of the medium. His skill with the etching needle allowed him to translate his painterly concerns into the graphic arts. Thinking about how this image was made reminds us that all works of art are the product of specific materials, processes, and skilled labor.