Maria als Mater Dolorosa 1642 - 1698

This image of Maria as Mater Dolorosa was rendered by Bernard Vaillant, likely in the latter half of the 17th century, using the technique of mezzotint. Here, the velvety blacks are achieved not by incising lines, as in engraving, but by systematically roughening the copper printing plate with a tool called a rocker. If printed at that stage, the image would be a solid field of ink. The artist then burnishes the plate to varying degrees to create lighter tones. This is a labor-intensive process, but it allows for subtle gradations of tone, ideal for conveying the soft, mournful quality seen here. Mezzotint rose to prominence in the 17th century as a printmaking technique that could mimic the tonal range of painting. It also allowed for mass production, creating devotional images for private consumption. In this way, the intense personal emotion conveyed here is inherently tied to the development of print culture.