The first step in making a reduced image of a painting or a print was graphing it onto paper. This sketch of Ary Scheffer’s (1795-1858) small oil portrait of Lafayette was used to make an enamel. The lines helped Birch keep every part of the picture in proportion. He probably used the same technique to reduce or enlarge his own enamels, which he offered in a range of sizes.
William Birch after Ary Scheffer, Preparatory sketch for Marquis de Lafayette portrait, 1824. Pencil sketch. Library Company of Philadelphia.
William Birch after Ary Scheffer, Marquis de Lafayette, 1824. Enamel on copper. Courtesy of the Yale University Art Gallery.
William Birch, Ingenious Artist: His Life, His Philadelphia Views, and His Legacy is on display through October 19, 2018. To learn more visit : http://librarycompany.org/birch2018/