Zittende man met een kruik 1658 - 1706

Wallerant Vaillant created this mezzotint, titled "Seated Man with a Jug," sometime in the mid-17th century. The image emerges from the velvety blacks that are so characteristic of the medium. Mezzotint is an intaglio printmaking process, meaning the image is incised into the plate. But unlike etching or engraving, mezzotint begins with the roughening of the entire plate, using a tool called a rocker. If you were to print the plate at this stage, it would be solid black. The image is then created by selectively burnishing areas smooth, so they will hold less ink, creating lighter tones. The present example shows both the strengths and the limitations of this laborious method. Note the fine gradations of tone in the figure's face, and the soft fall of light on his clothing. But also notice the relative lack of sharp definition. Vaillant has given us an intimate, almost tactile rendering of his subject. It’s a testament to the way a particular process can shape an artist’s vision.