Paris Leaning on Tree Stump, Front View, from Oeuvre de Canova 1817

This print of Antonio Canova's sculpture, “Paris Leaning on Tree Stump, Front View”, was made using etching and engraving, processes that sit interestingly between the fine and decorative arts. Look closely, and you'll notice the crisp lines and delicate shading, achieved by meticulously incising an image onto a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. The stark monochrome palette emphasizes the play of light and shadow, mimicking the sculpture's three-dimensionality. Printmaking, like sculpture, is a craft of multiples, with the ability to disseminate images widely, yet also relies on skillful labor to execute. Canova was a master of marble carving, and the print here translates the tactile qualities of stone into the graphic realm. We see the smooth skin of Paris in contrast to the rough, textured tree stump. This speaks to a broader tension of the time: the industrial revolution, the rise of the middle class, and the consumption of luxury goods. By appreciating the making of this print, we can expand our understanding of 18th-century society, and the circulation of images and ideas.