Gaspard de Fieubet 1649 - 1659

Robert Nanteuil made this print of Gaspard de Fieubet using engraving, a meticulous intaglio process. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually cut lines into a copper plate; these would hold the ink, and then transfer to the paper under great pressure. Look closely, and you'll see that Nanteuil varied the weight and spacing of the lines to create tonal effects, modeling the face and clothing with incredible subtlety. He skillfully uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up shadows and suggest the texture of fabrics. The density of the lines conveys a sense of the labor involved. Prints like this were not just art objects, but also tools of social networking. By circulating images of prominent figures like Fieubet, Nanteuil participated in the construction of celebrity, and in the political economy of image-making. It’s fascinating to consider the sheer skill involved in crafting an image like this. It forces us to reconsider traditional hierarchies of art and craft.