Nacht 1692 - 1739

This print, titled "Nacht," was made by Louis Desplaces, who lived during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The process here is engraving, where the image is incised into a metal plate, inked, and then transferred to paper. Look closely, and you'll see how Desplaces's engraving technique creates different tonal effects. Notice the fine, closely-spaced lines used to create the illusion of shadow and volume. But the title offers another material to consider: marble. The print reproduces a sculpture made for the Gardens of Versailles by Jean Raon. Consider the labor involved in extracting marble from a quarry, transporting it, and then carving it into a complex allegorical form. Desplaces himself would have had to translate that three-dimensional object into the graphic language of engraving, using his tools to mimic the effects of the sculptor’s chisel. Thinking about the interplay between these materials – marble, ink, and paper – brings us closer to understanding the artistry and social context of this image. It’s not just a picture, but the result of complex skills and the division of labor in early modern Europe.