WALK THE TALK: ‘Jesus Denounces the Scribes and Pharisees’, an etching by Friedrich Ludy
As religious works of art soaked in a gamut of colours hailed Churches and Cathedrals, a monochrome version of the same illustrated the Bible and other religious books. It accompanied the printed word and shared in the enhancement of faith. These illustrations were mostly conceived through the process of printmaking and etching.
Etching is the art of creating an impression (quite literally!). It treasures beauty at its framework. The technique employed is as appealing as the final outcome. So what is it all about?
The artist begins by securing a copper metal plate. It is cleaned and the edges are beveled. Next the plate is evenly covered with an acid resistant coating made from bitumen, beeswax and resin. This is known as the ground.
With the aid of an etching needle the artist draws on the ground. This exposes the metal below. Subsequently the plate is immersed in an acid bath. The acid eats away the exposed metal revealing a pattern of recessed lines. These lines are covered with ink and the plate is then applied to a damp paper. The design transfers onto the paper, thus creating a print.
The print in consideration is the work of a German artist, Friedrich Ludy (1823 – 1896). It reflects the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22, verses 1 – 12. Poised between the two groups of Jewish clad men is our narrator. Garbed in a European demeanour, he chronicles the event before him. Thus his story goes:
Matthew 23: 1-12 The Lenten battle is mostly fought in our hearts and while the area may seem no larger than my fist, the enemy through cunning deceit, fights on,…
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Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.