Le grand chou (The large cabbage)

Judith Rothchild

Printmaker Judith Rothchild was born in the U.S. but lives and works in France. Her preferred printmaking medium is mezzotint, which develops an image from a black surface. In this mezzotint of a large cabbage her values run the gammet from an intense black background to the touches of light that define the variegated surface of the vegetable.

Rothchild commented about her method of work working the plate:"The skill of the process is to bring up the image slowly, caressing the forms with the burnisher, occasionally printing proofs. At the same time, the surface of the plate evolves; the roughness becomes soft velvetand the plate is finally ready to return all the hours of drawing that one has put in."