Portret van Antonio Marchétti 1682

This print of Antonio Marchetti was made by Martial Desbois in the 17th century. It would have been achieved through the labor-intensive process of etching, an indirect intaglio method in which a metal plate, likely copper, is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance known as the 'ground'. The artist would then draw through the ground with a pointed tool, exposing the metal. Acid would then be applied, biting into the exposed lines, which are finally filled with ink and printed. The quality of line achieved gives a fineness of detail, as one sees in the rendering of Marchetti's face and hair. The material properties of the copper plate itself, its flatness, and the fineness of line it could yield when bitten by acid, allowed Desbois to achieve a high level of realism. Moreover, the reproductive nature of printmaking meant this image could be circulated widely. It gives us insight into the labor and skill of the printmaker, and the status of the sitter: a professor of anatomy, memorialized through the graphic arts.