Portret van Ferdinand-Philippe, hertog van Orleans 1830

Louis Pierre Henriquel-Dupont made this portrait of Ferdinand-Philippe, using a technique called etching. Etching involves coating a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, and then scratching an image into that coating. The plate is then exposed to acid, which bites away at the exposed metal, creating an image that can be inked and printed. What is interesting is that this isn't an original portrait. The name under the image suggests that it was copied from an original portrait by Winterhalter, a famous painter. Henriquel-Dupont was a renowned reproductive engraver and dedicated his career to recreating paintings through the print medium. The technique was important as it democratized images, making them accessible to a broader public, and allowed for the circulation of art and ideas in a pre-photographic age. The lines and tones, made through labor-intensive skill, give a softness and depth that speaks to both the original painting and the etcher’s craft. This etching exists as an important document of both technical virtuosity, and the social function of images in the 19th century.