Portret van Guillaume Faipoult 1782 - 1814

This portrait of Guillaume Faipoult was made by Robert Delaunay as a print. As a medium, printmaking is intimately tied to processes of reproduction and distribution. The image has been built up through a process of laborious mark-making – tiny lines incised into a metal plate, which would then be inked and pressed onto paper. Think about the qualities this process gives to the image: the subtle gradations of light and shadow achieved through hatching and cross-hatching; the crispness of the lines defining Faipoult's profile. These are qualities only possible through the detailed work of the printmaker. And consider, too, the social context of this artwork. Printmaking allowed images to be disseminated widely, contributing to the circulation of ideas and the formation of public opinion. It was a technology deeply enmeshed with the political and social transformations of the modern world. In this light, it is a powerful medium for portraying political figures and the rise of new social orders.