Keying Up--The Court Jester

Artists not only created unique prints during the American Etching Revival, but some also made etchings after their own paintings. These prints allowed artists to market their paintings and widen their reputations. William Merritt Chase made only about 10 etchings during his career. He used the medium to capitalize on the attention he earned when his painting Keying Up—The Court Jester (1875; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts) won a medal at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Like a jester skilled at mimicry, he emulated the painting’s vigorous brushstrokes and lively manner using dense, active lines. The periodical American Art Review published this etching in 1881.