mezzotints

Roughened copper prints

Mezzotints are prints made from metal plates that have been roughened to hold ink, then selectively smoothed to create gradations from deep black to white.

The technique produces rich tonal effects difficult to achieve with line engraving, making it ideal for reproducing paintings.

Popular from the 17th through 19th centuries, mezzotints are now largely a fine art curiosity: The museum displayed several mezzotints after Reynolds portraits.

technique

copperplate

Formal looped penmanship

roulette · burnisher · scraper · burin · plate · rocking · burr · ground · ink · press

tonality

gradation

Incremental transition between stages

velvety · richness · softness · darkness · shadows · highlights · midtones · depth · luminosity · subtlety

collecting

antique

Old valued collectible

gallery · exhibition · portfolio · auction · provenance · restoration · conservation · impression · state · foxing

subjects

portraits

Images of specific people

masterworks · figure studies · landscapes · allegories · historical paintings

Opposites
printmaking technique

mezzotintswoodcuts

Prints from carved lumber

etchings · linocuts · lithographs · aquatints · serigraphs

tonal approach

mezzotintsline drawings

Art using only strokes

pen and ink · hatching · crosshatching · wireframe · woodcuts

Family

mezzotint

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G