Portret van Jean-François de La Marche 1815 - 1817

This is a portrait of Jean-François de La Marche, made by Jacques Noël Marie Frémy, sometime in the 19th century. It’s an engraving, which is a printmaking technique involving cutting lines into a metal plate, inking the plate, and then transferring the ink to paper. Look closely and you’ll see a remarkable crispness and clarity in the lines. This is due to the nature of the process, which allows for a very precise and controlled mark. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to carefully incise the lines into the metal. Engraving was a skilled craft, demanding both artistic vision and technical expertise. In this case, we see the engraver also declaring himself as the draughtsman. This print represents not only an image of a prominent clergyman, but also a skilled artisan displaying his mastery of a demanding technique. It’s a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images are the result of labor, skill, and a deep understanding of materials.