Portret van een onbekende monnik 1749 - 1813

This is Valentine Green’s “Portret van een onbekende monnik,” made with mezzotint – a printmaking technique that flourished in the 18th century. The process begins by roughening a copper plate with a tool called a rocker, creating thousands of tiny burrs that would print as solid black. The artist then burnishes or scrapes away areas to create lighter tones. What you see is a range of smooth gradations, achieved entirely through manual labor. Consider how this painstaking method contrasts with the image: a contemplative monk, seemingly removed from worldly concerns. Yet, the very act of creating this portrait speaks to a different story, one of commerce and skill. Mezzotint was in high demand for reproducing paintings, feeding a growing market for art prints. So, while the monk might represent spiritual detachment, his image was brought to life through a decidedly material process, embedded in the era’s burgeoning capitalist economy.