Portret van René de Marillac 1663

Jean Lenfant's "Portret van René de Marillac" is an exercise in the skillful manipulation of line to create form, made sometime in the mid-17th century. Lenfant worked as an engraver, someone who uses a tool called a burin to incise an image into a metal plate. The plate is then inked, and the image transferred to paper. Notice the density of the lines, and the way they swell and diminish in thickness. The close hatching and cross-hatching builds up tone, giving depth to the sitter's face and the folds of his clothing. Engraving like this was a highly skilled craft. It required not only artistic ability, but also years of training to master the tools and techniques. This print demonstrates the engraver's command of the medium, and the power of line to capture the likeness and character of a person. Though we may think of printing as a fast, industrial process, this artwork reminds us that it has origins in painstaking handwork.