Galatea 1670 - 1724

Jacob Gole created this print of Galatea, the sea nymph, using the technique of mezzotint. This process involves roughening the entire copper plate with a tool called a rocker, creating a burr that, if printed at this stage, would produce a solid black image. The artist then works back into this prepared surface, burnishing or scraping away the burr to varying degrees to create lighter tones. By smoothing some areas more than others, Gole was able to produce this delicate rendering of light and shadow. This is most visible in the drapery and the nymph's luminous skin. Mezzotint was prized for its ability to produce rich, velvety blacks and subtle gradations of tone, and for its capacity to replicate the textures and tonal range of paintings. Think of the intense labor it took to manually create the effects we now achieve with digital tools. Appreciating the craft involved in this print allows us to look beyond the subject matter, and to marvel at the ingenuity of the maker.