Portret van John Tillotson 1741 - 1743

This is an engraving of John Tillotson by Jacob Houbraken, made sometime in the 18th century. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a metal plate, in this case copper, using a tool called a burin. The artist would have painstakingly carved lines into the plate, varying the pressure to create different depths and widths. Ink is then forced into these grooves, and the surface wiped clean. When paper is pressed against the plate, the ink is drawn out, creating the image. The precision and detail of the engraving allows for fine lines and tonal variations, capturing the textures of Tillotson's face, hair, and clothing. The act of engraving itself, with its demand for skilled labor, elevates the status of the portrait, and indeed of the sitter. The fact that the image could then be printed many times over also speaks to the rise of a culture of reproducibility, laying the ground for the modern media landscape. The original artwork, conceived through labor intensive techniques, became available for mass consumption.