The Printing of Engravings

Abraham Bosse was among the best printmakers in 17th-century Paris, and this depiction of a busy print shop demonstrates his ability to create variations in tone and texture using parallel lines. Even the images in the prints hanging up to dry are distinct: three at the top left show the Crucifixion. This image was a precursor to Bosse’s 1645 treatise on etching and engraving—the inscription explains how to apply ink to a metal plate, then run plate and paper through the press. Etchings use acid to create lines on the plate while in engravings the lines are carved out, but both are printed in a similar manner.