1825 Ackermann Aquatint Print 11 - REGAL SOFA

Original Hand Colored Aquatint Prints
Ackermann's Repository
~ 1825 ~

Original antique hand colored aquatint  from The Repository of Arts, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashions, and Politics published in London by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834).  The Repository was printed as a monthly magazine from 1809-1829 and included articles and plates on a wide variety of subjects as the title implies.  Ackermann began as a carriage designer, but became interested in prints and print making.  He opened a print shop on The Strand in London in 1795 which became a hub for British artists and print makers as well as for those wealthy enough to buy his prints and subscribe to his publications. 

The process of making an aquatint is time consuming and requires skill, but produces beautiful prints that resemble original watercolors and show tonal gradations better than any other print making technique known in the early 19th century.  First a copper or steel plate is prepared by covering a portion of the plate with tiny granules of rosin.  The artist can increase or decrease the amount of rosin to make a color appear lighter in one area and darker in another.  Then the plate is heated so that the rosin granules melt forming a finely pebbled surface.  Rosin will resist ink when the plate is later pressed.  After the plate cools, the plate is etched with acid.  A different plate has to be made for each color.  Two or three colors were printed in this manner for each picture in The Repository.  Final detail colors were then painted by hand.

Condition:  Any imperfections can be seen in the pictures.
Paper:  The print is on heavy weight paper and is blank on the back. 
Text & Title Page:  Not available.
Size:  5 1/2" wide x 9 1/4" tall.

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