Portret van Alexandre Charpentier 1904

Jan Toorop made this dry needlepoint portrait of Alexandre Charpentier in Paris in 1904. Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking technique. It involves using a hard, pointed needle to scratch directly into a metal plate, in this case probably copper. The depth and character of the lines in the image are determined by the amount of pressure applied to the needle, and the angle at which it’s held. The plate is then inked, and the ink is carefully wiped from the surface, remaining only in the scratched lines. The plate is then pressed against a sheet of paper, transferring the ink and creating the print. The process is demanding, requiring a high degree of skill and control to achieve the desired result. Each print pulled is slightly different, a physical record of the artist’s hand and material interaction. Considering the labor and expertise involved reminds us that even seemingly simple images are often the result of complex processes and traditions. This challenges the idea of a simple split between art and craft.