Three Gentlemen Leaning on a Banister Overlooking a Garden where Lovers Stroll, from "The Garden of the French Nobles In Which One Can Pick Up Their Way of Dressing" 1629

This print was made around 1629 by Abraham Bosse, using the technique of engraving. Bosse was unusual for his time, because he didn’t just practice printmaking; he also wrote about it. His treatise on the subject was one of the first to explain the processes to a wide audience. Engraving involves using a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate. This is a skilled, labor-intensive process, requiring years of training to master. The resulting image has a crisp, precise quality. Look closely, and you can see how Bosse varied the depth and spacing of the lines to create a sense of light and shadow. Bosse’s choice of subject matter is also telling. By depicting fashionable figures in a garden setting, he catered to the tastes of an aristocratic clientele. Prints like this were not just works of art, but also a form of social currency, reflecting and reinforcing the values of the ruling class.