Venus and Cupid

About this work

This soft etching shows Venus reclining with Cupid, her son, in a dreamy, shaded scene. The lines are delicate, almost like pencil, but etched into metal. Rosy light falls on their skin, while shadows melt into the background. Pierre Lacour used etching to make this print. Etching means scratching a wax-coated metal plate, then dipping it in acid to bite the lines you drew. The acid eats away the exposed parts, leaving grooves to hold ink. It’s a slow, careful way to work. Try comparing this to Rembrandt’s etchings if you like the mood.