Portret van Charles Ashton 1752 - 1754

This is James McArdell’s portrait of Charles Ashton, made using the intaglio printmaking method of mezzotint. Mezzotint is a fascinating process. The artist textures the entire copper plate with a tool called a rocker, creating thousands of tiny pits that, if printed at this stage, would produce a solid black. Then, working from dark to light, the artist smooths out areas of the plate with burnishers and scrapers. The smoother the area, the less ink it holds, resulting in lighter tones in the final print. Look closely, and you'll notice the velvety texture and subtle gradations of tone, particularly in Ashton's robes and wig. This technique was prized for its ability to capture fine detail and tonal richness, mimicking the appearance of oil paintings. Mezzotint was labor-intensive, requiring considerable skill and time. This print gives us a glimpse into the world of 18th-century printmaking and its complex relationship to artistic skill, labor, and the reproduction of images for a growing market. It reminds us that even in seemingly straightforward portraits, there's a whole world of process and social context waiting to be explored.