View of the City with the Louvre, etc., taken from Pont Marie, from A Selection of Twenty of the Most Picturesque Views in Paris 1802

This aquatint, depicting the Louvre and the Pont Marie in Paris, was made by Thomas Girtin in the early 1800s, using etching and aquatint on paper. These printmaking techniques involve coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, drawing an image, and then bathing it in acid, which bites into the exposed areas. In this print, Girtin captures the bustling atmosphere of the city, with boats plying the river and people going about their daily lives. The aquatint gives the image a soft, atmospheric quality, perfectly suited to the picturesque view. Printmaking was a key technology in the industrial revolution, allowing images to be reproduced cheaply and disseminated widely. The final print, often hand-colored, then entered into the circuits of consumption. Here, though, the work is valued for its aesthetic qualities. Paying attention to how things are made helps us to see the rich social context behind the image.