Napoleon bezoekt de zieken in Jaffa 1799 - 1849

This print, "Napoleon Visiting the Plague Victims in Jaffa, " was created by François Louis Couché, who lived from 1782 to 1849. Made using engraving, a printmaking technique that demands careful labor, lines are incised into a metal plate, which then holds ink to be transferred to paper. This process allows for detailed and reproducible imagery. The act of engraving itself requires skilled hand-eye coordination and precision. Consider the labor embedded in the creation of this print. Couché would have spent many hours meticulously cutting the lines into the metal. In contrast to painting, which emphasizes the artist's unique touch, printmaking often involves a collaborative process and the potential for mass production. It invites us to reflect on the distinctions between fine art and craft, and the value we place on artistic skill.