Charles Melchior Descourtis. Paul and Virginie. 1795. France. Etching and engraving, from four plates, in yellow, blue, red and black, on paper One of the most accomplished color printmakers of his era, Charles Melchior Descourtis produced a body of work that is small and relatively unknown. Descourtis learned his method of multiple-plate color printing from Jean François Janinet and like him used toolwork on the plate rather than aquatint, an acid immersion process used to create general areas of shading. This is one of a series of six plates that relates the story of Paul and Virginie.

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Size: 3000px × 2633px
Photo credit: © WBC ART / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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