Deborah, engraved by Ettlin 1868

This is ‘Deborah,’ an engraving after Gustave Dore, made sometime in the 19th century by the printmaker Ettlin. Engraving is an intaglio printmaking technique, where the image is incised into a plate, usually copper. The engraver would have used a tool called a burin to physically cut lines into the metal. Think of it as a precise, controlled form of scratching, demanding remarkable skill and physical effort. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. High pressure is then used to transfer the image to paper. The striking tonal range of 'Deborah' is achieved by varying the density and depth of the engraved lines. This was a painstaking process, reflecting the division of labor characteristic of the 19th-century print industry. Dore would create the original design, and then specialists like Ettlin would translate that into print. Paying attention to materials and process allows us to consider the social context of production, challenging any hierarchy between the artist’s original vision, and the craft of the engraver.