Amazon on a horseback 

Vasily Polenov created this etching, titled *Amazon on a horseback*, using a metal plate, acid, and ink. It's not just an image, it’s a product of a very particular process. With this technique, the artist would have painstakingly drawn an image onto a prepared metal surface, likely copper or zinc, then bathed in acid. This eats away at the exposed lines, creating grooves. Ink is then applied to these lines and the surface is wiped clean. The plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the ink and the image. Consider the labor involved here – the drawing, the careful application of acid, the inking, and printing. This wasn't a quick sketch; it was a calculated and considered process. The very nature of the etched line gives the image its character, a sense of depth and texture, creating the interplay of light and shadow. Thinking about the materiality and making of this artwork allows us to appreciate the skill, time, and tradition involved, inviting us to look past the image and to the artist's process.