Jean Pierre Camus 

This print of Jean Pierre Camus was made by Claude Mellan, using engraving on a copper plate. Look closely and you will see that the image is formed almost entirely of parallel lines. Mellan was a master of this technique, and the portrait is a demonstration of virtuosity. The key to understanding this work is appreciating the labor involved. Each line had to be incised into the copper by hand, with varying degrees of pressure to create different depths and widths. It's almost unbelievable how much work has gone into this plate. In his own time, Mellan was celebrated for the purity and clarity of his style. Today we might also reflect on the way that this print – itself an object made through skilled work – represents its subject, an important religious figure. It is a powerful reminder of the value of human effort and the dialogue between craft and fine art.