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Etching is a printmaking technique that involves using acid to create lines on a metal plate, usually copper or zinc.
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Etching dates back to the early 16th century, when armour designers began using it to embellish their metals.
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The first etchings were made by scratching lines into a wax-coated metal plate and then covering it in acid to create an image.
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Rembrandt van Rijn was a master engraver who created over 300 prints in his career.
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Since it can replicate fine and subtle features, etching was a common medium for book illustrations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Etching is the technique of drawing into the wax to reveal the metal behind a thin layer of acid-resistant wax or that has been applied on a metal plate.
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Etching can be done using several acids, including as nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and ferric chloride.
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Etching can also be used in combination with other printmaking techniques, such as aquatint and drypoint.
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The resulting prints from an etched plate are called "etchings" and are highly valued by collectors.
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Copperplate etching is the most common type of etching, due to copper's ability to hold fine lines and details.
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The etching process requires great skill and precision, and mistakes are difficult to correct, making each print truly unique.
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Etching has been used to create some of the most iconic artworks in history, including Francisco Goya's "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters" and Albrecht Dürer's "Melancholia I".
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Throughout the twentieth century, artists like as Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró experimented with etching, pushing the technique's limitations and creating new masterpieces.
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Etching is still admired for its unrivalled ability to produce subtle and delicate lines, which makes it a favourite printmaking method among artists today.