An Iron Forge

One of the glories of English graphic art in the eighteenth century are the mezzotint prints that eloquently reproduce the smooth tonal gradations of paintings. Some of the most arresting of these mezzotints are those that replicate the magical illumination effects of the painter Joseph Wright of Derby. Earlom’s An Iron Forge is the among the most evocative of these, and this impression is particularly fine. An early stage of the print before the title was added below the image, it conveys all the subtle nuances of light and shadow that make these prints so seductive.