Rest on the Flight into Egypt 1874

Léopold Flameng created this print, "Rest on the Flight into Egypt," using etching, a method with a long history, but one that really came into its own during the Industrial Revolution. To make an etching, you coat a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant ground, then scratch an image into that ground, exposing the metal underneath. Next, you immerse the plate in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. The longer it soaks, the deeper the lines become. Finally, you apply ink to the plate, wipe off the excess, and run it through a press, transferring the image to paper. The resulting image has a distinctive character, a network of fine lines creating rich tonal variation. Though this print depicts a biblical subject, the technique itself speaks to the modern era, where skilled labor meets industrial processes. Etching allowed artists like Flameng to produce images in multiples, democratizing art and engaging with the burgeoning print culture of the 19th century. So, in a way, even a traditional subject can be radically updated through its method of production.