Gezicht op de tuin en het Palacio del Buen Retiro te Madrid 1745 - 1775

Jean-François Daumont created this print of the Palacio del Buen Retiro in Madrid. It's made using engraving, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. In this case, the print has been hand-colored, likely by workshop assistants. The process matters here. This wasn't a unique artwork, but a product of skilled labor and a division of labor. Engravings like this were essentially an early form of mass media, allowing views of famous sites to be widely distributed. The sharp, precise lines of the engraving lend themselves well to architectural rendering. The coloring adds a touch of luxury, but also demonstrates a systematic approach; each area filled in with a consistent hue. Consider the amount of work involved: the engraver’s expertise, the colorist’s careful application, the paper maker, and the distribution networks. This print gives us insight into the culture of 18th-century art production, where craft and commerce were deeply intertwined. It challenges our notions of the artist as a solitary genius, revealing the social and economic networks that supported artistic creation.