1733-1744 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This print is an etching, produced by biting lines in a metal plate with acid to hold ink. The lines on the plate are filled with ink which is then printed onto paper.
Subjects Depicted
The printmaker Hubert Gravelot (1699-1773) made this etching look like a page from his sketchbook. He has achieved this by filling almost every inch of surface with a variety of unrelated subjects, drawn to different scales. This makes it look as though he had sketched them haphazardly as he came across them. Because this is a print, not a drawing, it is clear that the whole effect was carefully contrived.
The subjects reflect Gravelot's many talents as a designer, illustrator and occasional figurative painter. They include a full-length figure of a hunter taking aim, a gun-dog going after a bird, and heads and profiles of men, women and children. In the lower right-hand corner, is a design for an 'etui', a small box for items such as needles, scissors and thimble, which was carried in the pocket, or hung on a chain from the waist.
Materials & Making
Some of the lines in this etching are lighter than others. This mimics the different intensity of the lines in a drawing. To achieve this effect in an etching, Gravelot had to use a process called 'stopping out'. Some lines on the copper printing plate were made quite shallow and so held little ink, while others were exposed to the acid for longer, became deeper to hold more ink, and so printed darker as a result.
This print is an etching, produced by biting lines in a metal plate with acid to hold ink. The lines on the plate are filled with ink which is then printed onto paper.
Subjects Depicted
The printmaker Hubert Gravelot (1699-1773) made this etching look like a page from his sketchbook. He has achieved this by filling almost every inch of surface with a variety of unrelated subjects, drawn to different scales. This makes it look as though he had sketched them haphazardly as he came across them. Because this is a print, not a drawing, it is clear that the whole effect was carefully contrived.
The subjects reflect Gravelot's many talents as a designer, illustrator and occasional figurative painter. They include a full-length figure of a hunter taking aim, a gun-dog going after a bird, and heads and profiles of men, women and children. In the lower right-hand corner, is a design for an 'etui', a small box for items such as needles, scissors and thimble, which was carried in the pocket, or hung on a chain from the waist.
Materials & Making
Some of the lines in this etching are lighter than others. This mimics the different intensity of the lines in a drawing. To achieve this effect in an etching, Gravelot had to use a process called 'stopping out'. Some lines on the copper printing plate were made quite shallow and so held little ink, while others were exposed to the acid for longer, became deeper to hold more ink, and so printed darker as a result.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Etching, ink on paper |
| Brief description | Print by Hubert François Gravelot, sheet of etched sketches including studies of heads, a sportsman with a gun, animals and of an etui, etching, London, 1733-1744 |
| Physical description | A sheet of etched sketches including studies of heads, a sportsman with a gun, animals and of an etui. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'H. Gravelot.' (Signed) |
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
Hubert-François Gravelot's etching includes a design for a gold case (étui). Gravelot made very few designs for metalwork or other materials, but many English artefacts with this restrained and balanced version of the Rococo style survive. His treatment of Rococo ornament was less agitated than that of many later British designers.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Given by Prof. E. W. Tristram |
| Object history | Made in London by Hubert- François Bourguignon Gravelot (born in Paris, 1699, died there in 1773) |
| Summary | Object Type This print is an etching, produced by biting lines in a metal plate with acid to hold ink. The lines on the plate are filled with ink which is then printed onto paper. Subjects Depicted The printmaker Hubert Gravelot (1699-1773) made this etching look like a page from his sketchbook. He has achieved this by filling almost every inch of surface with a variety of unrelated subjects, drawn to different scales. This makes it look as though he had sketched them haphazardly as he came across them. Because this is a print, not a drawing, it is clear that the whole effect was carefully contrived. The subjects reflect Gravelot's many talents as a designer, illustrator and occasional figurative painter. They include a full-length figure of a hunter taking aim, a gun-dog going after a bird, and heads and profiles of men, women and children. In the lower right-hand corner, is a design for an 'etui', a small box for items such as needles, scissors and thimble, which was carried in the pocket, or hung on a chain from the waist. Materials & Making Some of the lines in this etching are lighter than others. This mimics the different intensity of the lines in a drawing. To achieve this effect in an etching, Gravelot had to use a process called 'stopping out'. Some lines on the copper printing plate were made quite shallow and so held little ink, while others were exposed to the acid for longer, became deeper to hold more ink, and so printed darker as a result. |
| Bibliographic reference | Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1932. London: HMSO, 1933 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.2456-1932 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
