Mezzotint

Printmaking with soft tonal transitions

Mezzotint is an intaglio technique in which light and dark tones form the image. A metal plate is roughened with a serrated rocker. The rough surface holds printing ink. Scraping and burnishing selected areas reduces the ink retained, making those passages print lighter.

Features and possible confusion

The technique is associated with deep, soft dark tones and gradual transitions towards highlights. Darkness alone cannot identify a print, however. Examine its paper, surface and inscriptions. A photographically reproduced image of a mezzotint is not necessarily an impression from a mezzotint plate.

Artist, printmaker and publisher

Mezzotint has been used to reproduce paintings. The artist responsible for the composition may therefore differ from the printmaker or publisher. Practical example: Record the complete inscription below the image rather than only the best-known name. Numbering or a named artist alone does not establish who made the impression.

Next steps

Preserve visible labels and other ownership information. Browse prints and graphic art for related works. For a possible sale, send OBA overall photographs and close-ups of inscriptions. Disclose known damage and avoid home cleaning before assessment.