Saint Christopher and the king before 1885

This photogravure, entitled "Saint Christopher and the king", was created by Frederick Hollyer, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. Photogravure is a printmaking process that yields rich, continuous tones by etching a photographic image onto a copper plate, then printing it. Hollyer was renowned for his mastery of this technique, using it to reproduce paintings and portraits with remarkable fidelity. The image shows a highly skilled application of labor, especially considering the manual dexterity required in preparing the printing plate, inking, and running it through the press. The tonal range achieved here suggests meticulous control of the etching process, with varying depths of bite that hold different amounts of ink. The soft, velvety blacks and delicate highlights speak to the care and expertise involved in each stage of production. Thinking about the social context, we can see Hollyer’s work operating in a burgeoning market for art reproductions, when photogravure democratized access to images, making art more widely available to a growing middle class. This print represents both a technical achievement and a reflection of broader trends in art consumption during Hollyer’s time.