Eugène Delacroix

The glow of hot iron emphasizes the muscular body of a blacksmith about to strike a blow with his hammer. Behind him, another worker is almost engulfed in the bright light of the forge. This shadowy subject was most appropriate for Delacroix’s exploration of aquatint, a medium of light and dark. Its dramatic tonal effects recall Goya’s Caprichos, some of which, like this print, were executed in virtually pure aquatint, with little or no linework. The subject and mood also echo Earlom’s mezzotint exhibited in the next gallery. This, Delacroix’s most successful aquatint, was published in 1865, when a renewed interest in etching was at its height.