Portret van de predikant Petrus van der Hagen 1671 - 1677

This portrait of the preacher Petrus van der Hagen was made by Wallerant Vaillant in the 17th century. Vaillant was a master of the mezzotint, a printmaking technique that allows for rich tonal variation. First, the entire copper plate is roughened with a tool called a rocker, creating countless tiny burrs that would print as solid black. Then, working from dark to light, the artist smooths areas of the plate to varying degrees, so they hold less ink and produce lighter tones. Look closely, and you can see how the velvety blacks give way to soft greys in the face and collar. This demanding process, requiring immense patience and control, allowed Vaillant to create a stunning likeness of van der Hagen. Mezzotint was a relatively new technology at the time, and well suited to portraiture; its rise mirrored the increasing emphasis on individualism that marked the 17th century. By exploring the material qualities of mezzotint, Vaillant pushed the boundaries of printmaking, elevating it to a sophisticated art form.