Untitled c. 19th century

This untitled work is an engraving on paper by William B. Closson. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning the image is cut into a surface and then filled with ink. Think of it as the opposite of relief printing, like a woodcut. Closson would have used a tool called a burin to carve lines into a metal plate, likely copper. The depth and density of these lines determine the tones in the final print. The plate is then inked, the surface wiped clean, and the ink remaining in the grooves is transferred to the paper under high pressure. It’s a painstaking process that demands precision. Engraving has a long history, associated with printmaking, and commercial reproduction. This piece however, uses the method to artistic ends, with a soft image and delicate lighting that contrasts with the labor-intensive methods used to produce it. Paying attention to the materials and processes involved in this artwork allows us to appreciate the artist's skill and labor and challenges the traditional hierarchy of artistic mediums.