Portret van Michael Richey 1753

Christian Fritzsch’s “Portret van Michael Richey” is an engraving on paper. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a surface, and then filled with ink. In this case, the artist would have used a tool called a burin to carve lines into a metal plate, likely copper. The density of these lines determines the tonal range of the image, from light to dark. The pressure of the hand guided the tool across the plate. Because the process is indirect, printmaking has always had a somewhat ambivalent status relative to painting and sculpture. While prints can disseminate images widely, and are thus often associated with democratic values, they also require a high degree of technical skill and are often commissioned by wealthy patrons. There’s also a division of labor involved. One person creates the image, and another prints it. The result here is a study in black and white – a portrait that is both intimate and reproducible. It bridges the gap between the unique artwork and the world of mass production.