Shooting a Woodcock 1864

Charles Jacque made "Shooting a Woodcock" using etching, a printmaking process that relies on the corrosive power of acid. The image starts with a metal plate coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist scratches into this coating, exposing the metal, before submerging the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves. These grooves hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under high pressure, resulting in the image we see. Look closely, and you can see the quality of the etched line – its depth and precision give the image its detail. The process enabled Jacque to create a detailed and tonal image, that captures the atmospheric depth of the forest. Etching was crucial for disseminating images widely, making art more accessible and tying creative practice ever more closely to industrial processes. Appreciating this etching means understanding the labor and craft involved, challenging any divide between fine art and more quotidian forms of image-making.