Azië 1719 - 1749

Philipp Andreas Degmair made this print, Azië, using etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to bite into a metal plate. This wasn’t just a way to make images, but a means of mass production. Look closely, and you’ll see how Degmair carefully layered lines to create intricate patterns, textures, and tonal depth. Notice how the varying widths and densities of the lines give shape to the lion and the decorative foliage. The etcher would have to be skilled in graphic techniques, but also, chemistry, and physics, to time the acid baths just right. While it’s easy to take prints like this for granted, consider the labor involved in producing such a detailed image, the social context in which these images were consumed, and the knowledge and expertise required. Degmair’s work prompts us to reconsider the boundaries between art, craft, and industrial production in the 18th century.