Portret van boekverzamelaar Isaac Gosset 1813 - 1817

This is a portrait of book collector Isaac Gosset, created by S. Springsguth using the intaglio printmaking technique of etching. Look closely, and you’ll notice the fine, precise lines that define the figure, achieved by incising an image into a metal plate and using acid to deepen these lines, before inking and pressing the plate onto paper. The emphasis here is on line, which gives this etching its distinctive graphic quality. Through the density and direction of these lines, the artist has created tonal variations to describe Gosset’s form, clothing, and the textures of paper and wood. This would have been a labor-intensive process, requiring skill and time, and likely involving collaborative efforts among designers, etchers, and printers, reflecting the print industry's complex division of labor in the 18th and 19th centuries. Printmaking at this time facilitated the distribution of images, contributing to the circulation of knowledge and taste, and it's fascinating to consider how this portrait, made through industrial processes, immortalizes a collector of handcrafted books, bridging the worlds of craft and mass production.