About The Artist:
Francesco Bartolozzi
The most renowned student of Joseph Wagner in Venice, Francesco Bartolozzi began his career engraving plates after the designs of Italian masters. In 1764, he was invited to come to England in order to engrave the Guercino drawings in the Royal collection. A new printmaking process had recently been developed in London at this time and although, Francesco Bartolozzi could not claim its invention, his name is forever linked with the 'Stipple'...
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About The Medium:
Etching
The printing process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In traditional pure etching, a metal (usually copper, zinc or steel) plate is covered with a waxy ground which is resistant to acid. The artist then scratches off the ground with a pointed etching needle where they want a line to appear in the finished piece, exposing the bare metal. The plate is then put through a high-pressure printing press together with a sheet of paper (often moistened to soften it). The paper picks up the ink from the etched lines, making a print.