Portret van Ary Scheffer 1858

This print of Ary Scheffer is by Louis Pierre Henriquel-Dupont, and was made using a technique called engraving. This is an intaglio process, which means that the image is cut into a surface, in this case a metal plate, and then filled with ink and printed. Notice the incredible detail, created by carefully incising lines into the metal. To make a print like this requires immense skill and patience. It’s a labor-intensive process. The engraver would have used a tool called a burin to manually carve each line. The depth and width of these lines determine the tones and textures you see. It's a kind of reverse drawing, demanding precision and control, as mistakes are hard to correct. Engraving was crucial for reproducing images before photography became widespread, making art accessible to a wider audience. This portrait, carefully rendered, speaks to the value placed on craftsmanship. It also reminds us of the labor involved in image-making before the age of mechanical reproduction. Appreciating these prints means understanding both the artistry and the work that went into their creation, challenging our separation of craft from fine art.