Pierrot IV 1925

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this etching, Pierrot IV, using metal and acid. The controlled corrosion of the metal gives the print its finely graded tones. Schelfhout would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and then drawn his composition through it with a sharp needle, exposing the metal beneath. Immersing the plate in acid would then bite the image into the surface, and the depth of the lines could be controlled by varying the immersion time. The plate is then inked and pressed onto paper, resulting in the final print. Consider the labor involved, and the history of metalworking and chemistry that inform this etching process. The image embodies not just artistic creativity, but also skilled craft and industrial knowledge. Schelfhout's choice of etching, rather than painting or sculpture, suggests a deliberate engagement with printmaking's inherent reproducibility, and its traditional association with graphic design and commercial art. When we appreciate the making of this etching, and the way material and process determine its aesthetic, we begin to see beyond the traditional art historical categories of representation and expression.