Gerard Edelinck (1640-1707) was an engraver and print publisher, working in Paris. He was famous for making portraits of such celebrities as La Fontaine, Descartes and Colbert.
The object on display is an etching, or acidite. The etching technique was invented at the turn of the 15th century, and was popularized in the 16th century.
It involves making a metal printing mold with a drawing obtained by etching. To do this, a copper or zinc plate is covered with an etching varnish found in acid in its undiluted form, and then the drawing is made with a steel needle, exposing the surface of the medal. Then by immersing the plate in acid, the indented drawing on the plate is etched. In order to deepen the lines in the dark parts of the drawing, this process is repeated several times. After the last etching and removal of the varnish, printing ink is rubbed into the plate, which is retained only in the etched depressions. The ink, pressed into the etched recesses of the plate, is transferred to the paper in a gravure press.
Etchings were used by, among others:Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Jacques Callot, Berthold Hellingrath, Francisco Goya, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, James Abbott McNeill Whistler,Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Taras Shevchenko, Daniel Chodowiecki, Jan Piotr Norblin, Michal Plonski, Leon Wyczółkowski, Stanislaw Wyspianski.
The whole piece is framed in cream passe-partout cardboard and additionally in a glazed wooden frame.
Dimensions:
230 x 265 mm (in the frame), 200 x 235 mm (in the passe-partout alone), 130 x 165 mm (the etching alone).
Excellent condition.
