Dameportræt 1839 - 1902

This portrait of a woman was made by Vilhelm Kyhn using an etching technique. The process involves drawing an image with a needle on a metal plate covered with wax. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, leaving an impression. Kyhn has used varied line weights to give a sense of volume, and the cross hatching creates subtle gradations of tone and texture. Etching allowed for the relatively easy reproduction of images and a distribution of imagery to a wider public, reflecting the rise of a print culture that was very much tied to expanding commercial markets. The etcher, or printmaker, was an important figure in cultural life, demonstrating the skilled labor needed to produce such works. By focusing on the making of this print, we appreciate the important contribution of craft and its place in understanding art history.