What is mezzotint?
Mezzotint is a printmaking technique in which a copper or steel plate is roughened to produce a solid black print. The artist smooths specific areas of the plate to create a range of tones, from deep blacks to delicate grays and whites. By varying the degree of smoothing, the artist can achieve detailed gradations of light and shadow, resulting in prints with rich, velvety textures and subtle transitions between light and dark.
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Gestural art is a term that describes painting with freely sweeping brushstrokes. The primary goal of gestural art is to allow the artist to physically express emotional impulses. The varied, yet expressive paint marks are intended to convey the artist's inner thoughts and emotions, which viewers are believed to understand through the dynamic and spontaneous application of paint.
Abstract art uses form, shape, line, and color to create a visual experience without attempting to represent external reality. The composition exists independently of the world's visual references, focusing on expressing ideas and emotions through non-representational means.
De Stijl, meaning The Style, was a group of Dutch artists who created abstract art based on strict adherence to vertical and horizontal geometry. The group was founded by Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg in 1917. Mondrian eventually left De Stijl when Van Doesburg began incorporating diagonal geometry into his work, which Mondrian felt deviated from the group's principles.
