Woodcut, engraving and etching were the main methods of making prints before the invention of photography.
To make an engraving, a plate, usually of copper, is cut with a burin (a sharp gouging tool). The plate is put in a press and ink rolled onto it. The ink is retained in the cuts and transferred to the paper.
Some of the paintings, such as the Netherlandish Landscape, are connected with specific engravings by other artists. Others, such as Hogarth's Marriage A-la-Mode series, were painted by the artist for engraving.
