Portret van Maria Carolina van Bourbon-Sicilië 1832

This is a portrait of Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Sicily by Antoine Catherine Adolphe Fonrouge, an engraving on paper. Take a close look and you will see the artist has deployed etching and engraving techniques to create a range of fine lines and tonal effects, moving from light to dark, which allow the figure to emerge from the ground. This portrait is the result of a printmaking process, reliant on industrial technologies and standardization. The use of such techniques allowed for images to be reproduced on a mass scale, thus democratizing art and making it more accessible for a wider audience. The artist's skilled hand is evident in the fine details of the face and clothing, but the process itself is also a reflection of the changing social and economic landscape of the time. By attending to materials, making, and context, we can better understand the broader cultural significance of the work, challenging conventional divisions between fine art and craft.