William Shakespeare 1849

This is Samuel Cousins's print of William Shakespeare, made using mezzotint, a painstaking printmaking process. A metal plate is roughened evenly, then selectively burnished to create smooth areas that will hold less ink. What's left is a velvety image of light and shadow. Mezzotint was all the rage in the 1800s because it could capture the subtleties of oil paintings, making art accessible to a wider public through affordable reproductions. Look closely, and you'll notice the incredible tonal range Cousins achieved. This wasn't just about technical skill; it was about catering to a growing market for art, driven by new wealth and a desire for cultural refinement. Prints like these democratized art, but also transformed it into a commodity, bought and sold like any other object. So, next time you see a print, remember it's not just an image, but a product of its time, reflecting the changing relationship between art, labor, and the marketplace.