The Annunciation to Saint Joseph 1725 - 1775

Carlo Innocenzo Carloni made this print, "The Annunciation to Saint Joseph," using etching. This is an intaglio printmaking technique, where a metal plate, likely copper, is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance called a ground, and then the artist scratches the image into the ground with a needle. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the metal where the ground has been removed. The plate is then inked, wiped clean, and pressed against a sheet of paper. The ink held in the etched lines transfers to the paper, creating the image. The resulting lines are crisp and precise, as you can see in the delicate rendering of the figures and drapery. Etching allowed for the relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction of images, making art accessible to a wider audience, and facilitating the rapid dissemination of visual ideas in the 18th century. The amount of work involved in creating the original plate is considerable. The availability of prints like these allowed more people to engage with art, challenging the traditional boundaries between fine art and the broader culture.