(Cincinnati, Ohio, 1853 - 1902, Gloucester, Massachusetts)
1888 - 1889
Etching on paper
4 x 5 in. (10.2 x 12.7 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Bequest of Edwin C. Shaw
1955.47
When Twachtman got a new printing press in 1888, he and his friend Julian Alden Weir combed the Connecticut countryside in search of scenes to transform into prints. This etching depicts a rustic farm that Twachtman discovered near Weir’s home in Branchville, Connecticut. Etchings are made by scratching a design through an acid-resistant coating that has been applied to a metal plate. The plate is then exposed to acid, which eats away at the lines, creating grooves to hold the ink. Etching appealed to Twachtman and other landscape painters because they could easily work with the plate and scratching needle outdoors, then return to the studio to print from the plate.