Tavle med snegle 1765 - 1833

This print was made by Gerhard Ludvig Lahde, using engraving, a process closely associated with the rise of mass media. Engraving is an exacting, labour-intensive process. The artist uses a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate. Ink is then applied to the plate, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the incised lines. When paper is pressed against the plate, the image is transferred. Notice how Lahde deploys this linear language in two ways. On the left, we see diagrams, as though Lahde is trying to crack the code of these organic forms through geometry. On the right, he uses the same technique to exquisitely render the shells. The relatively even distribution of light and shadow further emphasizes the print's role as a tool for scientific accuracy, rather than artistic expression. Consider this print as a product of its time, a moment where both scientific pursuit and its corresponding methods of production intersected with artistic expression.