Charles Carroll of Carrollton 1835

This is an engraving of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, made by Asher Brown Durand. The image is made through a laborious and highly skilled printmaking process, using a metal plate to produce an image on paper. It's worth noting that Durand began his career as an engraver, before becoming known as a painter. The density of lines created by the engraving technique allows for fine tonal gradations, replicating the look of a painting or drawing. This print flattens Carroll into a reproducible image that is distributed widely, but also immortalizes him. It speaks volumes about the social and economic context of the time, where portraiture and printmaking were intertwined with the rise of a new nation and its leaders. By focusing on the labor-intensive nature of the engraving process, we can better understand its value as both a work of art and a historical artifact.