Design: Sketch, from Encyclopédie 1762 - 1777

This print, titled "Design: Sketch," was made by Benoit Louis Prevost in the 18th century, using etching. Etching is an indirect process, requiring skill in both drawing and the handling of corrosive acid. First, the entire copper plate would have been coated in wax. Then, using a fine needle, the artist scratched away lines to reveal the metal underneath. The plate was then immersed in acid, which bit into the exposed metal. This painstaking process results in the fine lines and shaded details we see here. This technique allowed for the relatively easy mass production of images, feeding the growing appetite for visual material in an expanding consumer culture. The print's delicate lines and precise details demonstrate the artist's mastery of the etching process, elevating it from a mere reproductive technique to an art form in its own right. The print embodies a tension between craft and design, inviting us to reconsider the boundaries of these categories.