Portret van George Graham 1694 - 1756

John Faber the Younger made this mezzotint print of George Graham, the renowned clockmaker, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. It's an image born from the era's fascination with both scientific precision and the burgeoning cult of the individual. Mezzotint is an intaglio printmaking process that relies on building up tone through careful burnishing and scraping of a roughened metal plate, here copper. The result is a soft, velvety texture, quite different from the stark lines of an engraving. Look closely and you’ll see how Faber used this tonal range to create subtle gradations of light and shadow, lending a lifelike quality to Graham's portrait. He’s even captured the metallic sheen of the tools Graham holds, a testament to his craft. But the print is also about the status of the artisan. By immortalizing Graham in this relatively new medium, Faber elevates clockmaking from a mere trade to a form of scientific artistry. He's not just depicting a man, but celebrating the skills and knowledge embodied in the work of his hands.