Buste van man met baard en halsketting 1637 - 1677

Wallerant Vaillant created this small print of a bearded man in the 17th century using the meticulous technique of mezzotint. Look closely, and you’ll see that mezzotint is all about tone. Vaillant would have begun with a copper plate, roughening the whole surface with a tool called a rocker. This would create a solid black if printed. The image emerges from this darkness, by selectively burnishing areas of the plate to make them smooth again. These areas hold less ink, resulting in lighter tones. The velvety texture of mezzotint was highly prized for portraiture, as it could capture the nuances of skin and fabric. But it was also a labor-intensive process. The final print is a testament to the amount of work that went into its making, reflecting the sitter's own status in the world. Considering the material and process helps us appreciate the skill involved and how printmaking served the needs of commerce and representation. The value wasn't just in the image, but in the performance of expertise.