Lezende vrouw in ovaal 1732 - 1776

This is a print of a woman reading, made by Gilles Demarteau, a French artist known for his engravings. Demarteau wasn't just any printmaker; he specialized in a technique called crayon manner, meant to mimic the soft, chalky look of drawings in graphite, sanguine and other colors. It involved using special tools to create a network of tiny dots and lines on the copper plate. Look closely, and you'll see how this technique lends the image a gentle, almost atmospheric quality, quite different from the crisp lines of traditional engraving. Why go to all this trouble to imitate a drawing? Well, in the 18th century, drawings were highly prized for their immediacy and expressiveness, and prints were a way to democratize access to this art form. Demarteau’s prints allowed a wider audience to experience the intimacy of a drawn portrait, reflecting the growing appetite for art among the rising middle class. This speaks to a broader shift in the art world, where craft and mechanical reproduction played a crucial role in shaping tastes and expanding the reach of artistic expression.