Mezzotint: The Halftone Effect

Compared to etching and its established visual traditions, some artists use mezzotint as a means of expression for original depiction. One of the reasons is probably that, since the time of its invention, this technique has been used especially for reproducing oil paintings in printed form. The use of tone rather than line as a characteristic means of expression and its remarkable ability to convey texture matched perfectly for its role. In addition, its velvety black and saturated shades of brown correspond to the strong contrast between light and shadow, which is characteristic of 17th-century oil painting, and to a technique that remains characteristic of European painting.