Couronnement de Voltaire (The Crowning of Voltaire)
1782
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1782
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a big crowd in front of a fancy archway. Two people in the center stand out—they’re dressed in old-timey clothes and look important. Around them, others wave, cheer, or point. Smaller scenes fill the sides, like people in windows watching the action. The artist packed in lots of tiny details, like the faces in the crowd at the bottom. This print was made using a method that lets you add lots of shading. Look up etching to see how artists carve into metal to make prints like this.
