Tegen de kust verongelukt zeilschip 1844

Egidius Linnig made this etching of a shipwreck near the coast in the mid-19th century. The scene is rendered through the subtle art of etching. The artist would have used fine needles to draw into a wax ground on a copper plate. The plate was then submerged in acid to bite away at the exposed lines. The varying depth and density of these lines create a full range of tones, from the dark, turbulent sea to the ominous, clouded sky. This process allowed Linnig to capture an incredible amount of detail, seen in the ship's rigging and the textures of the waves. Prints like this were relatively inexpensive and widely distributed, enabling a broad audience to experience images of dramatic events. They remind us that while we often think of artworks as unique objects, they also have a social life, circulating within economies of labor, politics, and consumption. In this case, the image serves to remind us of the perils of maritime work.