Triomf van Mordechai 1787

Richard Earlom made this mezzotint, "The Triumph of Mordecai," sometime in the late 18th century. A print like this was made by roughening a copper plate, and then selectively burnishing areas to create an image of light and shadow. The resulting tonal range made mezzotint ideal for reproducing paintings. It’s no accident that this print imitates the style of Rembrandt. The fashion for collecting prints put pressure on artisans, and this costly method was one way of meeting the demand for images, and circulating artwork through different markets. Consider the labor involved. The artist had to be a skilled draughtsman, but also a technician, with specialized knowledge of the printing press. These prints are not unique artworks, but rather products of a proto-industrial system. Yet understanding this historical context makes us appreciate the image all the more.