The Painter Jacques-Luc Barbier-Walbonne

1804

after Jean-Baptiste Isabey

(French, 1767–1855)

Culture

France, 19th century

Medium

aquatint, etching, and stipple

Measurements

Image: 26.7 x 20.9 cm (10 1/2 x 8 1/4 in.); Platemark: 32 x 24.4 cm (12 5/8 x 9 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection 1967.180

Catalogue raisonné

Le Blanc 7

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Before taking up printmaking, François Aubertin had a career as a soldier.

Description

Aubertin masterfully combined aquatint and tooled stipple—two techniques used to create granular tone—to emulate the meticulous shading and velvety surface of Isabey’s original drawing. A close look at the print, especially in the areas of the shirt, the jacket, and its lapels, reveals the diverse variety of textures Aubertin achieved. When displayed in the 1804 salon, the print was titled The Little Smoker. This impression is printed on handmade “wove” paper, a modern, smoother kind of paper developed in England during the mid to late 1700s.