Ierland 1768 - 1771

Jean Charles Delafosse made this print, "Ireland and its Religion" in the late 18th century, using the intaglio process. This painstaking method involves incising an image into a metal plate, inking the recesses, and then using immense pressure to transfer the image to paper. The effect is precise, almost mechanical—yet of course, it depends entirely on the engraver’s skill. Look closely, and you’ll see that Delafosse wasn’t just concerned with rendering the overall image. He used line weight and hatching to give depth and volume to the architecture he depicts, and to suggest different materials, like the drapery of the statues. Prints like this one were essentially a form of mass production, making architectural ideas available to a wide audience. The level of detail is extraordinary, a testament to both the engraver’s virtuosity and the commercial demand for these images. By focusing on the making, we recognize the cultural value placed on skilled handwork at the dawn of the industrial age.