the fall of Babylon, John Martin

British Museum

Artist John Martin was born ‪#‎onthisday‬ in 1789. Here's his mezzotint of the fall of Babylon http://ow.ly/zjgCg

美柔汀（mezzotint）是銅版畫表現技法之一，中文翻譯「美柔汀」版畫，屬於版畫技法的凹版畫，多數採用銅版為版材，主要工具有搖點刀、刮刀、磨刀等專業版畫器材。

Mezzotint is a printmaking process of the intaglio family, technically a drypoint method.^[1] It was the first tonal method to be used, enabling half-tones to be produced without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzotint achieves tonality by roughening the plate with thousands of little dots made by a metal tool with small teeth, called a "rocker." In printing, the tiny pits in the plate hold the ink when the face of the plate is wiped clean. A high level of quality and richness in the print can be achieved.