The Engraver Joseph Tourny (1857, Met-Objekt 502)
Original title: The Engraver Joseph Tourny
kurzbeschreibung
Edgar Degas made the etching Der Kupferstecher Joseph Tourny in 1857. It portrays the engraver Joseph Tourny in an interior. This impression is from the sixth printing on Japanese vellum and belongs among Degas's early graphic works.
Description
A man in a cap and collared shirt, arms crossed, looks straight at the viewer. Behind him runs a wall with vertical stripes. At the bottom of the image appears a smaller, indistinct head, perhaps a self-portrait or a symbol. Grays and hatching model light and shadow. The man as the main subject stands in the foreground; the layout is central.
Context
In 1857, during his formative years in Italy, Degas devoted himself intensively to printmaking and the works of old masters. The etching was made during this time. Joseph Tourny was a well-known engraver; Degas portrayed him as an homage to the craft of printmaking. The sixth printing on Japanese vellum points to a later, carefully controlled edition.
Impact
Fine linework and the calm, concentrated presence of the sitter define the print. Precise hatching tightens the texture and gives the view an intimate, almost classically graphic feel.
Technique
In etching, the drawing is scratched into an acid-resistant ground on a copper plate and then bitten with acid. Printing was done on Japanese vellum, valued for its smooth surface and high absorbency. The sixth printing suggests a repeated printing process in which the plate was reworked several times.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)