Busacca Gallery

This gorgeous vintage baby head drawing portrait art illustration is from a metal etching on handmade antique paper. It is an original soft-ground etching printed on woven paper, dating back to the 20th century. The piece is in good vintage condition and is hand-signed by the artist. Paper size 9 1/2 x 12 1/2. Condition very good. Signed by the artist. During the mid-1900s, there was a renaissance in hand-engraving as pneumatic hand-engraving systems were invented, making the art and techniques more accessible. In the past, hand-engraving was an extremely secretive art, with masters carefully selecting and rarely choosing apprentices to pass on the trade. Even in the 1970s, many engravers were reluctant to share trade secrets and guarded their methods closely. All of the art is carefully curated and chosen by us for its high quality and workmanship before being posted. We are committed to enhancing our customers' lives by discovering, creating, and showcasing only the best art we can find in the world today. We are taste-makers, art advisers, consultants, and publishers of the greatest art stories. Our role is to be intermediaries between buyers and sellers, vetting for high-end art patrons. We are determined to catalog the world's most exceptional art and share it with everyone.

The history of antique art prints spans several centuries and is marked by the evolution of printmaking techniques and the emergence of renowned artists. It began with woodcut and engraving during the Renaissance in Europe, with religious and biblical themes being popular subjects. In the 18th and 19th centuries, etching and lithography gained popularity, allowing for greater artistic freedom and experimentation. Prints became more affordable and accessible in the 19th century with mass production techniques, and were used for commercial purposes. In the 20th century, printmaking continued to evolve, with artists pushing the boundaries of traditional techniques and experimenting with new materials and processes, making prints an important medium for artistic expression.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustrations; these images are also called engravings.





Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal (the original process—in modern manufacturing other chemicals may be used on other types of material). As an intaglio method of printmaking, it is, along with engraving, the most important technique for old master prints, and remains in wide use today.