Opgejaagde wilde stier valt aan c. 1830

This print, “Opgejaagde wilde stier valt aan”, was made by Ignace Duvivier, and the process used was etching. The stark contrast between the black lines and the white paper enlivens the dramatic scene. Duvivier no doubt used a metal tool to draw through a waxy ground on a metal plate, which was then bathed in acid. The acid bites into the metal where exposed, creating recessed lines that hold ink. This plate could then be used to create many impressions. The scene captures a raw moment of man versus nature, or perhaps man attempting to control nature. Note the amount of work involved in making prints like this. The artist had to be both physically strong and mentally precise to produce such a work. By appreciating the processes and materials behind it, we can see how prints like this one belong to a longer history of creative practice, one not always separated into categories of “high art” versus “craft”.