Intaglio processes are a family of printmaking techniques that involve carving designs into a metal plate which holds the ink below its surface. The five primary intaglio techniques include engraving, etching, drypoint, aquatint, and mezzotint. In each technique, the design is cut, scratched, or etched into the printing plate. Then ink is rubbed into the grooves and the excess wiped away, ensuring that only the ink in the incisions is transferred onto the paper. All intaglio prints are printed using a roller press, which distributes even pressure across the plate, transferring the ink design to the printing paper, which is dampened beforehand to ease the process.
Intaglio printmakers in the Middlebury Museum collection include William Blake, Hendrick Goltzius, and Rembrandt van Rijn, among many others. The popularity of intaglio printing in the 17th century and later made it a valuable source of national revenue; fortunately, they were easy to mass produce because one plate could yield many prints. Prints could therefore circulate easily around the world, not only spreading art, but spreading important messages and impressions to people of different financial and social backgrounds.
Written by Carter Joyce, edited by Simone Edgar Holmes
Bibliography
Staff, A. “Intaglio Printmaking Made Simple: Here Are The 5 Key Processes.” November 2, 2017. https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/drawing/intaglio-explained.
