Portret van Georg Jeremias Hoffmann

This print of Georg Jeremias Hoffmann was made by Bernhard Vogel in the early 18th century using a process called mezzotint. Mezzotint is a painstaking method. First, the entire copper plate is roughened with a tool called a rocker, creating a dense field of burrs that would print as solid black. Then, the artist works back into this ground, burnishing and scraping away the burrs to create lighter tones. Because it requires so much labor to create the initial “black” state, mezzotint was often used for reproducing paintings, allowing for subtle gradations of tone. Think about the work involved in producing this image. The engraver meticulously shaped every detail, from the sitter's wig to the texture of the book. In a sense, the image is an index of that labor, a testament to the engraver’s skill. By appreciating the process, we can move beyond the mere likeness of Hoffmann and recognize the print as a valuable object in its own right.