Vrouw met een kanten halsband, een diadeem en waaier 1760 - 1762

Thomas Frye created this mezzotint portrait, "Woman with a Lace Collar, Diadem and Fan," using a copper plate. Mezzotint, unlike engraving, works from dark to light. The plate is roughened all over, creating a solid black when printed. The artist then burnishes or scrapes away areas to produce lighter tones. Frye was known for his skill in this challenging process, creating velvety textures and subtle gradations of light. You can see this in the soft rendering of the woman’s skin, lace collar, and pearl diadem. While seemingly traditional, the mezzotint process allowed for a certain degree of mass production, making images accessible to a wider audience. The work involved in preparing the plate, and the relative ease of printing, speaks to the changing dynamics of art production in the 18th century, where skilled handwork met emerging market demands. In looking closely at the tonal range and textures of this print, we can appreciate the artistry involved, but also the means by which images began to circulate within a growing consumer culture.