Voor het casino 1847

Rombertus Julianus van Arum created this print, titled "Voor het casino," using a technique known as etching. Here, the artist would have coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and then scratched an image into it with a fine needle. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines. The deeper the lines were etched, the more ink they would hold. The plate was then inked and pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The detailed rendering of the women's dresses, with their intricate ruffles and textures, suggests a critical commentary on the labor-intensive fashion of the time. Consider the social context: luxury goods like these dresses relied on the labor of many individuals, often working in harsh conditions. The print invites reflection on the relationship between fashion, labor, and social status. Van Arum's choice of etching, a replicable medium, democratizes the image, making it accessible to a wider audience and prompting conversations about the values and social issues of the time.