Margaret Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury 1782 - 1811

This engraving of Margaret Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, was created by James Basire the elder in the 18th century. It’s made using a technique called etching. The image begins as a drawing through a waxy ground on a metal plate. The plate is then bathed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, leaving grooves. Ink is applied and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the etched lines, and finally it is pressed onto paper. Looking closely, you can see the crisp, precise quality of the engraved lines, which create subtle tonal variations. The sharp lines delineate the Countess's features and the intricate patterns of her garments. Basire was a master of this laborious intaglio process. Engravings like this were often made for reproductive purposes, to disseminate images widely. Consider the social context: the print makes aristocratic identity available for consumption, connecting the meticulous labor of the printmaker with the Countess's status, and the burgeoning market for images in 18th-century Britain.