The Meeting 1860

This ink drawing, titled "The Meeting," was made by Sir John Everett Millais. The linear quality comes from the process of engraving, a method of printmaking where lines are incised into a surface, in this case likely a metal plate, which then holds ink and transfers the image to paper. The stark black and white contrast emphasizes the drama of the encounter between the mother, with her child, and the man, perhaps the child's father. The precision of the engraving captures the textures of their clothing, hinting at their social status and the labor involved in producing these textiles. The medium of engraving was often used for mass reproduction in books and periodicals, making art accessible to a wider audience during the Victorian era. The amount of work in this artwork highlights the skills of the engraver in translating Millais' vision into a reproducible format, blurring the lines between fine art and craft. By understanding the materials and processes involved, we gain a deeper appreciation for the social and cultural context of this artwork.