Oude man met boek 1741

John Faber II created this mezzotint, "Oude man met boek," using a copper plate. Mezzotint is a printmaking process that relies on building up tones from dark to light. Think of it: the artist would have started with a roughened surface, achieved by systematically marking the plate with a tool called a rocker. This creates a burr that, if inked, would print solid black. From there, Faber would have burnished and scraped areas of the plate to varying degrees of smoothness, so they would hold less ink – creating the illusion of light. The velvety blacks and subtle gradations of tone are characteristic of this labor-intensive technique. Consider the cultural context. Printmaking in Faber's time was essential for disseminating images, acting as a kind of visual internet. This particular print, with its focus on an elder absorbed in learning, speaks to the value placed on knowledge and reflection during the Enlightenment. So, next time you see a print, remember the skill and labor involved in its making, and how that process connects it to wider social concerns.