Geleerde zittend bij een venster in studeerkamer c. 1745 - 1767

This mezzotint was made by Charles Spooner around the mid-18th century, using a copper plate to produce this print on paper. Consider the way this image was made: the artist would have used a tool called a rocker to create thousands of tiny dots on the copper plate, producing an even texture that holds ink. The smooth areas you see come from burnishing away the texture, creating lighter tones. The time-consuming nature of mezzotint engraving meant it was often used for commercial reproduction, enabling artwork to be disseminated to a wider audience. In this piece, the sharp contrasts capture the philosopher's contemplative mood. When assessing an artwork like this, it's important to think about how the chosen medium and production process imbue it with meaning, often blurring the lines between craft and art.