Studiobezoek 1818 - 1899

This print, called "Studiobezoek," was made by an anonymous artist using a technique called etching. The etching process begins with a metal plate covered in a waxy, protective ground. The artist then draws through this ground with a needle, exposing the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the drawn lines are bitten into the metal. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling the etched lines, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the ink and creating the print. The artist has chosen to depict a scene that is itself about making. We see an artist at work in their studio, presenting the portrait they made to a seated gentleman and a lady behind him. The laborious etching process mirrors the labor involved in the artist's studio practice itself, a reminder that art making requires skill, time, and effort.