Portret van Sir Joseph Banks 1775 - 1834

This portrait of Sir Joseph Banks was made in the late 1700s or early 1800s by Konrad Westermayr, employing the technique of etching. Etching involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, protective layer, and then using a needle to scratch an image into this ground, exposing the metal underneath. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. This creates grooves that hold ink, allowing the image to be printed onto paper. The success of etching depended on the craftsman's control over the corrosive process of the acid, and the application of ink to the plate, wiping it away to control the image. The resulting prints, like this one of Banks, were relatively inexpensive and could be widely distributed, contributing to the growth of a print market and visual culture in Europe. This engraving, in its materiality and mode of production, reflects the development of both artistic and industrial techniques, blurring the line between art and craft in an era of burgeoning capitalism.