Mascaron met mannenkop 1759

This etching of a mascaron with a man’s head was made by Christian Bernhard Rode. It’s an image achieved through a relatively painstaking process, using acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. Think about the material properties of the metal plate itself. It’s rigid, but it can be worked, coaxed into holding incredibly fine lines. In this image, we can see that Rode was interested in the way that hatching – closely spaced parallel lines – could give the impression of volume and depth. The face has an almost sculpted quality, evoking the tradition of carved ornaments on buildings. This required both technical skill and an understanding of form. Yet, this print could be reproduced multiple times, making such imagery accessible to a wider audience, a key feature of the print medium. So, while the image may depict an elite architectural feature, its production and distribution speaks to a broader social context.