Portret van Frederik, prins van Oranje-Nassau 1790 - 1837

This is Charles Howard Hodges' portrait of Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau. It is a mezzotint, a printmaking technique that relies on building up tone through careful gradations of light and dark. Look closely, and you'll notice the velvety texture, a product of the way the plate was prepared. First, it was roughened evenly with a tool called a rocker. This creates countless tiny pits that, if printed, would produce a solid black field. The printmaker then works "from dark to light", burnishing or scraping away the burr to create lighter tones. The smoothness of the prince's face results from hours spent polishing the plate. Mezzotint was prized for its ability to capture subtle variations, perfect for portraiture. And consider, too, the labor involved. The intense preparation created a print that could be reproduced many times over. Hodges was not just making an image; he was participating in a burgeoning media landscape, one that democratized representation, and generated profit for its makers.