Art Techniques
A mezzotint is a type of intaglio print or tonal engraving widely used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to reproduce portraits and other paintings.
John Sartain was among the earliest and most accomplished mezzotint engravers in America. Born and trained in London, Sartain immigrated to Philadelphia in 1830. He quickly established himself and became actively involved in the city's vibrant artistic community. His rich mezzotints, noted for their subtle tonal qualities, were favored by leading artists who commissioned Sartain to produce prints after their paintings. In addition to framing prints, he also engraved book and magazine illustrations, banknotes, and certificates.
The Haunted Stream is an example of the mezzotints Sartain produced for popular magazine or book illustrations. This sentimental scene was adapted from a work by James Hamilton (1819–1878), an Irish-born painter whose style tended toward Romantic Impressionism.
Pictured: John Sartain, 1808 England–1897 USA, The Haunted Stream, after 1846, mezzotint on paper mounted on paper, image: 4 9/16 x 7 7/16 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the NMAA/NPG Library, Smithsonian Institution.
A mezzotint is a type of intaglio print or tonal engraving widely used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to reproduce portraits and other paintings.
John Sartain was among the earliest and most accomplished mezzotint engravers in America. Born and trained in London, Sartain immigrated to Philadelphia in 1830. He quickly established himself and became actively involved in the city's vibrant artistic community. His rich mezzotints, noted for their subtle tonal qualities, were favored by leading artists who commissioned Sartain to produce prints after their paintings. In addition to framing prints, he also engraved book and magazine illustrations, banknotes, and certificates.