Oude man leest aan een tafel 1733 - 1766

This mezzotint, titled "Seasonable Thoughts of Mortality," was made by John Dixon in the late 18th century. Mezzotint is a painstaking printmaking process that allows for rich tonal variation. To create a mezzotint, the entire surface of a copper plate is roughened with a tool called a rocker. This creates a burr that, if printed, would produce a solid black. The artist then smooths out areas of the surface with a burnisher, creating lighter tones. It is a subtractive process of working from dark to light. Consider the time and skill required to execute this technique. The labor-intensive nature of mezzotint meant that it was often used for reproducing paintings, making art more accessible to a wider audience. In this print, the skull and hourglass serve as *memento mori*, while the act of reading implies intellectual labor, all rendered through the laborious process of mezzotint. Paying attention to materials and making helps us understand the social and cultural significance of this artwork, challenging the distinction between art and craft.