A Plate of Mechanics
ca. 1795â1805
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of George Campbell Cooper
Accession Number
1896-3-296
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815), an Italian engraver who flourished in England from the 1760s onward, created *A Plate of Mechanics* 1795–1805. Born in Florence and trained in the classical techniques of etching and engraving, Bartolozzi became a master of the "dotted manner" or stipple engraving—a refined method using fine dots to produce soft, painterly effects ideal for portraits, landscapes, and reproductive prints after famous paintings. This late-career work, classified as a print, exemplifies his skill during a period of growing fascination with science and industry in Enlightenment-er...