Portret van Henri François d'Aguesseau 1770 - 1826

This portrait of Henri François d'Aguesseau was made using etching, a printmaking technique that allows for fine, detailed lines. The etcher would have coated a metal plate with a waxy ground, then drawn through it with a sharp needle to expose the metal beneath. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed lines, creating grooves. These grooves hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under high pressure. Look closely, and you can almost feel the texture of the paper pressed into those fine lines. The process is laborious, requiring skill and precision, and the final print is a testament to the etcher's craft. While etching allowed for relatively quick reproduction compared to painting, it still involved significant time and effort. By focusing on the making, we can recognize this print not just as an image, but as a manifestation of skilled labor.