De Smaak: etende man 1670 - 1724

Jacob Gole created this mezzotint print of an eating man in the late 17th or early 18th century. Mezzotint is an intaglio printmaking process, meaning that the image is incised into a metal plate, in this case likely copper, which is used to hold the ink. The process begins by roughening the entire surface of the plate with a tool called a rocker, then smoothing out areas to create lighter tones. The beauty of the mezzotint lies in its capacity for tonal richness and subtle gradations, achieved here through the burnishing of the metalplate. The way the artist coaxes the light from the roughened surface creates a sense of depth and texture, almost as if one could feel the coarseness of the man's garments or the gleam of the spoon. Consider too, the labor-intensive nature of mezzotint. Each print represents hours of meticulous work, embedding value into the image. It's a reminder that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, the hand’s touch remains vital. It is this combination of technical skill, material understanding, and social context that gives this work its lasting appeal.