The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2025 - Issue 37

biteexhibition ed Titanic Experience, which brings the story of RMS Titanic to life using immersive technology combined with original navy heritage. It also houses temporary exhibits, Northern Ireland (NI)’s premier conference and banquet- ing suites, education and community facilities, catering outlets and a Titanic store with an onsite basement car park. Since it opened in 2012, Titanic Belfast has established itself on the local, national and international stage, having welcomed almost 9 million visitors from over 145 countries. It was previ- ously voted the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the prestigious World Travel Awards. It contributed £430 million in additional visitor spending to the Northern Ireland economy in its first ten years and has inspired £60 million of wider heritage preservation across the Titanic Quarter. Visitors can expect an immersive experience at the exhibition, engaging with the unpredictable nature of Freud’s printmaking process. It showcases his technical mastery and offers a glimpse into the collaborative efforts that shaped his etchings. His approach to etching was as rigorous as his paint- ing, revealing the same psychological depth with subjects rendered in stark, unembellished detail. He often worked directly onto the plate, treating it like a canvas. Freud favoured etching as it resembles drawing and loved ‘the element of dan- ger and mystery’ inherent in the pro- cess. Etchings are made with an etching needle, a sharp pointed tool, to draw into a layer of acid-resistant waxy resin called the ‘ground’, which is applied to the surface of a metal plate, usually copper. The plate is immersed in acid, biting into the metal where the action of the etching needle has exposed it. The longer it is absorbed, the deeper the grooves will be. After the plate is taken out and washed, the ground is removed, and the printer applies the ink. Any excess ink in the etched lines is wiped from the unetched areas. A sheet of damp paper is laid on the inked plate and passed through a press to transfer the ink from the plate to the paper. The image the artist drew on the plate appears in reverse on the paper, such as Lucian Freud’s close-up perspective etching of fellow painter Lawrence Gowing, printed by Terry Wilson at Palm Tree Editions in 1982. Unlike traditional etchers who rely on fine lines and shading, Freud’s tech- nique emphasised bold, expressive strokes. His prints carried a raw, unfin- ished quality, reflecting his relentless pursuit of truth in representation. One of the most fascinating aspects of Freud’s etching process was trial proofs. These preliminary prints allowed him to refine details before committing to a final version. It showcases several proofs, offering visitors a rare glimpse into Freud’s artistic decision-making. Beyond displaying Freud’s etchings,