Zeilschip met zwaarden op het water 1866 - 1910

This is Zeilschip met zwaarden op het water, made by Frans Hens using etching. The process of etching involves using acid to cut into a metal plate, traditionally copper or zinc. The plate is covered with a waxy ground which is scratch-resistant. The artist then scratches an image into the ground with a pointed tool, exposing the metal. The plate is then dipped in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. The remaining ground is removed, ink is applied to the plate, and then it’s pressed onto paper. Hens’ etching shows the kind of directness you can achieve with an incisive medium like this. The image suggests the maritime economy which was so central to Belgium’s identity at this time. By choosing etching, Hens aligned himself with a printmaking tradition of relatively easy production. The image captures a sense of the everyday through the perspective of labor and utility.