Acid on Metal: The Art of Etching and Aquatint September 11–November 27, 2011
Rembrandt van Rijn, Rembrandt and His Wife Saskia, 1636, etching on laid paper.
Anonymous Gift
Adolphe Appian, Fisherman in a Rowboard, at the Edge of a River, 1887, etching and monotype.
Gift of John Adger, Dunbar N. Chambers, Jr., Ernest H. Cockrell, Bud Covert, M. Robert Dussler, Donald R. Kendall, Jr.,
Robert C. McNair, D. Cal McNair, R. Cary McNair, and Charles L. Sowell at "One Great Night in November, 1995"
Rembrandt van Rijn, Jupiter and Antiope, 1659, etching with burin and drypoint.
Museum purchase with funds provided by the Brown Foundation Accessions Endowment Fund.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, The Lime Burner, 1859, etching and drypoint.
Gift of John B. Brent, S. Reed Morian, and Mr. and Mrs. Gene M. Woodfin
in honor of Meredith J. Long at “One Great Night in November, 1993”
Richard Stankiewicz, Untitled, 1964, etching.
Gift of the Louisa Stude Sarofim Charitable Trust, courtesy of Christopher Sarofim, Leslie and Jack S. Blanton, Jr.;
and the Arch and Stella Rowan Foundation, Inc.
Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt), Sin título (Untitled), 1963, etching and aquatint on paper.
Museum purchase with funds provided by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund
Acid on Metal: The Art of Etching and Aquatint chronicles the development of etching from the 16th century, through the golden ages of Rembrandt van Rijn and Francisco de Goya, to the medium’s revitalization and modernization under Pablo Picasso, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and contemporary masters such as Brice Marden and Richard Stankiewicz. Prints by Rembrandt, including Jupiter and Antiope, display the master’s fluid handling and experimental style that inspired generations of printmakers to follow. Goya, who created works of a sharp satirical and political nature, showcases his mastery of aquatint with The Cid Campeador Attacking a Bull with His Lance.
The second in a series of print exhibitions at the MFAH examining the varied techniques in printmaking, Acid on Metal focuses on the intaglio printmaking process of etching and the related technique of aquatint, methods that require the biting of a metal plate with acid to incise a design. Exploring various etching techniques as unique vehicles of expression, this show features a selection of more than 50 works on paper drawn primarily from the MFAH collection. Also on view are tools, plates, and books to enhance the audience’s understanding of the creative force of etching from the 16th century to today.
This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Generous funding is provided by:
Additional support is provided by:
International Fine Print Dealers Association
Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron Foundation