Overhandiging van een brief 1658 - 1677

Wallerant Vaillant created this print, ‘Overhandiging van een brief’, using the technique of mezzotint. Mezzotint is a painstaking process, typically done on a copper plate. First, the entire surface is roughened using a tool called a rocker. This creates countless tiny burrs, which, if printed at this stage, would produce a solid black field. The artist then works back into this prepared surface, burnishing and scraping away the burrs to varying degrees. Where the surface is flattened, the plate will hold less ink, resulting in lighter tones in the final print. Look closely, and you'll see a wide range of tonal values achieved, giving the image a soft, almost velvety quality. This made mezzotint popular for reproducing paintings, especially portraits, as it could capture subtle gradations of light and shadow. Vaillant was one of the technique’s leading exponents, and here he uses it to great effect, describing the fabrics and textures of the sitters’ garments. In appreciating this print, it’s important to consider not only the image itself but also the considerable labor involved in its creation. The value lies not just in the artistic composition, but in the mastery of a demanding and time-consuming craft.