Portrait of Christian Bernhard Rode, the Artist's Father
Rode was one of the important eighteenth-century German printmakers. Here he depicted his father, the goldsmith Christian Bernhard Rode about the time of his death in 1756. This is a very early, experimental etching by the artist. Typical of Rode's prints throughout his career is the stippled shading that models the sitter’s face. Once he had etched the portrait, the artist covered the background and the sitter’s clothing in the printing plate with a lavis, a layer of acid applied directly to the plate with a brush. As the acid bit into the copper printing plate, it created a layer that would print as a dark overall tone. He then polished away some of that layer in order to create highlights on the sitter’s coat.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait of Christian Bernhard Rode, the Artist's Father
- Artist: Christian Bernhard Rode (German, Berlin 1725–1797 Berlin)
- Date: ca. 1756
- Medium: Etching and lavis; first state of two
- Dimensions: Sheet: 8 1/16 × 5 11/16 in. (20.5 × 14.5 cm)
Plate: 6 11/16 × 4 5/8 in. (17 × 11.8 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.10
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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