Vaillant learned the mezzotint technique from Prince Rupert of the Rhine, whom he met and assisted during a visit to Frankfurt am Main in 1658. Active in Amsterdam and Paris, Vaillant became the first professional mezzotint-engraver, whose works achieved success throughout Europe. Here, he presents a domestic scene of his own design, showing a woman (presumably a servant) peeling fruit. As this richly toned plate reveals, Vaillant's mezzotint grounds appear more evenly textured than those of his predecessors.

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