Augustus 1635 - 1694

Dirck de Bray made this etching, "Augustus," at an unknown date, using metal, acid, and ink. The etching process begins with a metal plate coated in a waxy, acid-resistant material. De Bray would have drawn his composition through this coating, exposing the metal. Then, the plate was immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. Consider the labor involved: from mining the metal, to producing the acid, preparing the plate and finally the physical work of incising the image, the act of printing, itself a skilled occupation, as it is dependent on the application of pressure and the use of ink. Finally, the plate was inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. The image was then transferred to paper under high pressure, revealing this scene of harvest. The stark, graphic quality of the etching emphasizes the sharp contrast between the laborers toiling in the fields and the resting figures observing their work. This directness makes us consider the material basis of society, and the people who sustain it through their labor.