Etchings in the catalogue.

Etching is an intaglio process: a metal plate is coated in an acid-resistant ground, the image is scratched through that ground to expose bare metal, and the plate is bathed in acid, which bites the exposed lines. Ink is then forced into those recessed lines and printed under heavy pressure.

The result is capable of extraordinarily fine, controlled linework and rich tonal depth, qualities that made the medium central to printmaking since Rembrandt and that continue to draw serious collectors to well-preserved plates and early states.