The first thing we are going to do before entering fully into the meaning of the term engraving is to know its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is a word that derives from the French “graver” and was formed from the German word “graben”, which is synonymous with “burilar” or “dig”.
The concept of engraving refers to the act of recording and the process that allows the development of said action . Record, meanwhile, can refer to recording or fixing something .
An engraving, in this framework, is a print that is obtained from printing plates that are specially prepared for this procedure. The artistic discipline that involves the development of this technique is also called engraving.
To create an engraving, the artist is in charge of making a drawing on a matrix , marking the surface where the ink will be deposited, which is then transferred, by means of pressure , to another surface (such as a fabric or paper). In this way it is possible to make multiple reproductions.
The matrix can be made of stone, wood, metal or other material . The engraver usually uses a cutting or sharp instrument to draw, although there are also chemical, laser, digital or photographic procedures depending on the material in question.
An engraving can even be an inscription that is made on a rigid surface with no intention of making copies. In this sense, the engraving technique has thousands of years of history .
One of the most important artists in history who has a large collection of engravings is none other than the Aragonese Francisco de Goya (1746 – 1828). Specifically, this has a total of 280 engravings made that surprised at the time not only for the topics they address but also for their innovation in different aspects.
This collection of works is known as the “Goya Engravings”, among which individual titles such as “Flight to Egypt”, “The Colossus”, “The Blind Man with the Guitar” or “God Repay You” stand out. However, perhaps among the engravings the series titled “The Capriccios”, “The Disasters of War”, “The Bullfighting” or “The Follies” stand out.
However, in addition to Goya, there is another series of artists who have also gone down in history as great engravers. Among those we can highlight Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528), Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973), Edward Hopper (1882 – 1967), Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987), Rembrandt (1606 – 1669), Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 – 1778) or Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880 – 1938), among others.
Woodcut is one of the oldest engraving techniques. In this case, the matrix is made of wood. The creator of the engraving can draw following the direction of the wood grain or transversally. For this you can use a gouge, a burin or a knife that allows you to create holes and grooves in the wood, on which ink is then applied using a roller. The drawing is finally printed on paper with a press or similar device.