Gezicht op de stad Parijs gezien vanaf de Quai de Miramion 1745 - 1775

Jean-François Daumont’s ‘View of the City of Paris Seen from the Quai de Miramion,’ is an etching, likely printed on paper and then delicately hand-colored. Look closely and you can see the linear quality of the etched lines that define the buildings, the river, and the figures populating the foreground. Etching is an indirect process. The artist covers a metal plate with a waxy ground, then draws through it with a needle to expose the metal. Immersing the plate in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. Ink is then applied, filling these lines, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the image. The technique allows for fine detail and subtle tonal variations, evident in the cityscape and the bustling quayside. The printmaking process allowed for mass production, making views of Paris accessible to a wider audience, feeding into the burgeoning tourism industry and a growing sense of civic pride. What this print represents isn’t just a scene, but a moment in the development of a modern visual culture, driven by commerce and consumption.