Portret van Jean Chaillou de Thoisy 1655 - 1699

This is Jean Louis Roullet’s “Portret van Jean Chaillou de Thoisy,” a print made in the late 17th century, using engraving. This is an intaglio process – meaning that the lines of the image are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. In this case, the technique has been deployed to create a highly conventional image, a portrait of a clergyman. But consider: every line you see here results from a deliberate cut into the metal. The velvety blacks, and the subtle gradations of tone, are entirely dependent on Roullet’s skill with his burin, the tool used for engraving. The portrait is surrounded with emblems that allude to the sitter’s life and work. The amount of work involved in the production process, from the design to the engraving itself, speaks to the esteem in which printmakers were held at the time. While it might seem a world away from painting or sculpture, this print is evidence of the same values: precision, care, and the desire to give form to an idea.