Putto 1756 - 1776

This delicate print of a putto was made by Gilles Demarteau, using a technique called crayon manner engraving. Instead of carving lines, the metal plate was worked with tools to mimic the soft, textured effects of a chalk or crayon drawing. Look closely, and you'll see the image is built up from tiny dots and short strokes. Demarteau was a master of this technique, and prints like these became highly fashionable. The process allowed for the relatively easy reproduction of drawings, making art more accessible to a wider audience. It also speaks to a shift in artistic values, valuing the suggestive sketch as much as the highly finished painting. This reflects a broader commercialization of art, where reproducibility and distribution became key factors. The result is an object that blurs the line between original artwork and mass-produced commodity, showing how the techniques of making inevitably shape the meaning and value we assign to art.