Portret van François Pierre Gillet c. 1821

Charles Aimé Forestier made this portrait of François Pierre Gillet with etching and stipple engraving. Look closely, and you’ll notice that the magic of this print resides in its making: the thousands of tiny dots, laid down with incredible precision. This is stipple engraving, and it's a world away from the bold gouges of woodcut. It allows for incredibly smooth gradations of tone, mimicking the effect of a chalk or pencil drawing. The engraver uses specialized tools to produce each dot by hand, demanding intense focus and control. In this instance, the goal is clear: to convey the textures of flesh, hair, and fabric. Note the contrast with the smooth, blank expanse of the paper around the figure. This isolates Gillet, elevating him as an individual of status and refinement. While we often think of prints as easily reproducible and widely accessible, this particular technique speaks to a different ambition: to elevate the printed image to the status of a unique artwork, carefully made. Next time you look at a print, consider not just what it depicts, but how the artist’s labor shapes the meaning.