La Coupe Enchantee, from Contes et nouvelles en vers par Jean de La Fontaine. A Paris, de l'imprimerie de P. Didot, l'an III de la République, 1795 1795

This print, titled "La Coupe Enchantee," was made in Paris in 1795 by Jean-Baptiste-Michel Dupréel. It’s an engraving, meaning the image was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then pressed onto paper. The fine lines and delicate shading speak to Dupréel’s mastery of the burin, the tool used to carve the image. Look closely, and you can see how the varying depths and densities of the lines create a sense of light and shadow. This technique demanded immense skill and patience. The print was produced during the French Revolution, a time of upheaval and social change. The printmaking industry then relied on a network of skilled artisans, from the draftsmen to the printers themselves, each contributing to the final product. Consider the labor involved in creating this image, from the mining of the metal for the plate to the hand-cranked presses that produced the final print. In its intricate detail, the print reveals a fascinating intersection of craft, commerce, and culture.