Portret van Luis María de Borbón y Vallabriga 1800 - 1805

This print of Luis María de Borbón y Vallabriga was created by Carlo Antonini, who was active in Rome in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is an engraving, a printmaking technique that depends on the precise and controlled removal of metal, in this case, copper, from a plate. The engraver uses a tool called a burin to incise lines into the plate, creating the design, and then ink is applied and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the recessed lines, before the image is transferred to paper under high pressure. The resulting image exhibits a unique graphic quality, with crisp lines and tonal variations achieved through the density and depth of the engraved marks. Engraving demands technical skill and patience. It was often employed for reproducing images and disseminating information, reflecting the printmaker's role in both artistic creation and mass communication. The image is fascinating to consider, because it reflects the hierarchies of skill and labor in a pre-industrial workshop. Understanding the material process gives us insight into the broader world of artistic production at the time.