Titelprent voor een serie van zes ornamenten c. 1725 - 1750

This print, made by Gabriel Huquier, is a title page for a series of ornaments. It was made with an engraving process, using sharp tools to cut lines into a metal plate. The plate would then have been inked and pressed onto paper. The effect is one of incredible detail, almost like a pen drawing. Look closely, and you can see how the engraver has modulated the thickness and density of the lines to create shadows and highlights. This level of detail speaks to the intense labor involved, and to the engraver's skill. Considered a ‘reproductive’ art, prints like these were part of a larger system of production and consumption, making designs accessible to a wider audience. It was a way of disseminating taste, but also a commercial enterprise, dependent on the labor of skilled artisans. Recognizing the artistry inherent in such works challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft.