The Nymph of Immortality, Attended by the Loves, Crowning the Bust of Shakespeare 1784

Francesco Bartolozzi created this print, "The Nymph of Immortality, Attended by the Loves, Crowning the Bust of Shakespeare," using an engraving technique. Rather than painting, Bartolozzi employed a skilled manual process, cutting lines into a metal plate to hold ink, and then transferring the image onto paper. Look closely, and you can see how the character of the engraved line influences the artwork’s overall appearance. The medium allows for delicate, precise detail, seen in the nymph’s flowing gown and the cherubic faces of the surrounding figures. This printmaking technique was widely used during the eighteenth century to reproduce artworks, fueling a growing market for accessible art. Bartolozzi’s technical virtuosity speaks to a culture of craftmanship. This print offered a way to disseminate Shakespeare's image widely, transforming his cultural status into a more accessible, consumable form. By understanding the material and the means of production, we can appreciate Bartolozzi's print not just as an image, but as a cultural artifact that reflects the artistic and economic values of its time.