Trade Card for A. Salmon, Printer (Imprimeur) 1889 - 1899

This is a trade card for A. Salmon, a printer specializing in eaux-fortes, or etchings, made at an unknown date in Paris. Trade cards served as both advertisement and calling card. What strikes me about this card is the figure at its center. He is dressed in the style of the 17th century, and bears a strong resemblance to the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. This is no accident: Rembrandt was a master etcher and printer, indeed, perhaps the master etcher. The reference here is a knowing one, to the history of the print as an art form. The printer A. Salmon aligns his workshop with the artistry of Rembrandt, signaling that he too is a master of the craft. The card suggests the importance of institutional history, in this case, art history, in the creation of meaning. By researching the history of printing, we are better able to understand this small, but powerful, trade card.