1775
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Gravure à l'Eau Forte, Machine à Balotter: pl. VI is a 1775 ink by French 18th Century, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a complex machine with lots of labeled parts and gears. There’s a big wooden frame holding a drum, plus smaller tools like a hand crank and a flat metal tray. The whole thing is drawn in black lines on light paper, with tiny labels marking each piece. The machine looks like it’s for printing or etching, based on how the parts fit together. The title at the bottom says it’s a "Machine à Balotter," which was used in making engravings. If you like this, look up engraving to see how these machines worked.
This artist worked in late 18th-century France, making portrait paintings and etched prints.
See the richer artist page
