Reading (Mr. and Mrs. Ch. Deering) 1893

Anders Zorn made this etching of Mr. and Mrs. Ch. Deering using an intaglio printmaking process, a technique where the image is incised into a metal plate, and then printed. Zorn carefully worked the metal with fine tools, creating lines and textures that hold the ink. The quality of the line is what defines this print, its fineness and the ways in which it creates a sense of shadow and light. Notice how the varying density of the lines gives depth to the composition, drawing you into the quiet domestic scene. Printmaking, like photography, has always had a complex relationship with notions of artistic labor. Unlike painting or sculpture, the matrix is repeatable; this suggests an industrial process, even when the print is regarded as fine art. But it is important to remember the high degree of skill that goes into the making of images like this, and to appreciate the tonal nuances and textures that are only possible through such an intimate process.