Masker met baard 1626 - 1676

François Chauveau made this small engraving of a bearded mask sometime in the 17th century. The image is spare, made with deceptively simple means. But think for a moment about the method. The artist would have used a sharp tool called a burin to manually carve lines into a copper plate. This was a highly skilled, time-consuming process. The plate would then be inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. Finally, paper was pressed firmly against the plate, transferring the image. The character of the image depends entirely on this process. It's a dance between the artist's hand, the resistance of the metal, and the capillary action of the ink. The fine lines create a dense texture, giving the mask depth and volume. It’s an effect of pure craft. This kind of print was relatively democratic; multiple impressions could be made and sold. But it is important to remember the labor involved in its making. Appreciating the craft of printmaking helps us understand its historical significance, challenging any hierarchy between art and other forms of skilled production.