Portret van Nicolas Fouquet 1660

This portrait of Nicolas Fouquet is made entirely from a single, continuous line, etched into a copper plate by Claude Mellan. He wasn't using traditional materials, but the copper matrix was essential. What’s astonishing is how Mellan uses the swelling and thinning of this single line to suggest the contours of Fouquet's face, the fall of light on his garments, even the texture of his hair. Look closely, and you’ll see that the density of the line increases in areas of shadow, and lightens to create highlights. This was a real tour-de-force of technique, requiring immense control and judgment. The social context is interesting too. Fouquet was a powerful figure in the court of Louis XIV, and Mellan’s meticulous approach speaks to Fouquet’s ambition. The etching can be seen as a metaphor for control and precision. It challenges distinctions between the craft of printmaking, and the fine art of portraiture. It invites us to consider the labor and skill involved in all forms of artistic production.