Cleopatra's banket 1847 - 1889

William Unger made this etching, Cleopatra's Banket, using metal plates to create an image through careful, precise lines. Notice the texture in Cleopatra's dress, and the way the light catches the metalwork on the table. Etching is a printmaking process, using acid to cut into a metal surface, leaving behind the design. Unger would have covered a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, scratching his design into the wax, then bathing the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed metal, creating incised lines. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines. The print is made by pressing paper against the plate. Etching allowed for detailed and subtle tonal variations, simulating the appearance of a drawing. The process requires a lot of labor, reflecting the skill and time involved in creating such detailed work. Looking at this etching reminds us that every artwork is a product of its making, a blend of materials, techniques, and human ingenuity.