Untitled c. 19th century

This intimate image of a woman reading was created by William B. Closson using wood engraving, a process that demands incredible skill. Closson would have painstakingly carved into the end-grain of a block of wood, using specialized tools to create a dense network of lines. Ink is then applied to the surface and transferred to paper. The density of the lines determines the tonal range of the final print, and the depth of shadows and highlights. While wood engraving was often used for commercial purposes, such as reproducing images for newspapers and books, Closson elevated it to an art form. There is a considerable amount of labor and expertise required to achieve this level of detail, blurring the lines between craft and fine art. Closson transforms a traditionally commercial technique into a sensitive study of quiet contemplation.