Mezzotints in 18th Century Life April 21, 2007

A mezzotint is an engraving made without lines. The result is a dramatic, soft-edged image that might resemble a highly finished drawing in charcoal or brush and ink. The delicate surface of the plate meant that it wore down quickly during printing, so early impressions of the image, the richest and most detailed, became instant collectors' items. This exhibition of more than 60 mezzotints from a local collection explores the role this form of printmaking played in gossip, commerce, decoration and print connoisseurship in the 18th century life.