Rev. William Buell Sprague 1834

This engraving of Rev. William Buell Sprague, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was made by Asher Brown Durand, after a painting by S.F.B. Morse. Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process, where an image is cut into a plate, typically copper. The incised lines hold ink, and are transferred to paper under high pressure. Look closely and you can see the precise, deliberate linework that defines Sprague’s features and clerical garb. The medium of engraving lends itself well to portraiture because of its capacity to reproduce fine detail and tonal gradations. Engraving was crucial to the distribution of images in the 19th century, playing a vital role in disseminating information and shaping public opinion. Though it required immense skill and labor, printmaking made art more accessible. By focusing on the materials and processes behind this image, we recognize the artistry of printmaking, as well as its broader cultural impact, challenging conventional hierarchies of art and craft.