Joop Vegter - Beautiful small mezzotint "teddybear" - limited edition (75) - pencil signed

• Mezzotint on laid paper
• Dating: 1991
• Numbered: 13/75
• Signed: in pencil
• In very good condition
• Titled: "teddy bear"
• loose-leaf

Initially, Joop Vegter taught drawing and printmaking at institutions including the Utrecht School of the Arts, where he established the printmaking department. From 1987 onward, he devoted himself full-time to his graphic work. Initially as an etcher, he later focused primarily on the complicated and rarely used mezzotint technique, also known as black art. Joop Vegter reconstructed this 17th-century printmaking technique, partly by talking to old printers. He wrote a book about it.
In mezzotint, the entire copper plate is first roughened with a so-called cradle iron, a tool with a fan-shaped, serrated head that leaves rows of holes and burrs on the copper plate. The ink adheres to the more or less rough surface. The plate is completely covered with ink, hence the name "black art." Then, the design is transferred to the plate using, for example, red chalk. To apply the image, some areas of the roughened plate are smoothed with a scraper (polishing steel). In these areas, the ink no longer adheres evenly, creating light areas in the print. By polishing to a greater or lesser extent, it is possible to achieve different gray tones, or halftones, hence the name mezzo (half) tint. The various aspects depend on the skill of the engraver/artist. The technique allows for smooth transitions between the different gray tones, giving the prints a velvety appearance.