"The physionotrace was an early precursor to the camera, using a pantograph to trace the features which were recorded onto a plate by an etching needle. This yielded a plate that could be printed from. This physionotrace, executed by the inventor [Chrétien] and his most frequent collaborator [Fouquet], is a good example of this early pre-photographic intaglio printing method and an example of one of the methods used to mechanically transpose the image to a printing plate."--Hanson Collection catalog, p. 5
Forms part of the David A. Hanson Collection of the History of Photomechanical Reproduction
"Dess. p. Fouquet, gr. p. Chrétien inv. du physionotrace, Cloitre St. Honoré en 1790" -- Profile portrait of a man in uniform -- Title supplied by cataloger