Lady Mary 20 - 1796

Francesco Bartolozzi created this print, Lady Mary, using etching and stipple engraving. Look at the layering of geometric shapes from the square neckline of her dress to the sharp angles of her headwear, which frames her face. Bartolozzi has employed a semiotic system of signs to capture Mary’s likeness through line and form. Consider how the texture is rendered. Short, soft, and concentrated strokes work to bring Mary to life while conveying an aesthetic value of the time. The lines suggest an engagement with the ideals of beauty and representation, offering a reading of status and identity through visual cues. Note the precision used to achieve the subtle gradations of tone and texture. Bartolozzi destabilizes a simple portrait by engaging with the cultural codes of his era. In doing so, he invites us to explore the interplay of technique, representation, and the construction of meaning in portraiture.