The Dictionary of the Noble Arts by the writer and academic Diego Rejón de Silva, printed in 1788, defines “engraving” as “drawing on a copper or wooden plate a figure or composition with the tip of a burin, to later make many copies of she". This definition summarizes the qualities of engraving. On the one hand, the action of impacting a support with sharp instruments to create an image that can be transferred to paper, by inking and pressing said support. On the other hand, the possibility of repeating the printing numerous times, so that multiplicity is the genuine characteristic of the engraving, which favored its dissemination and the democratization of the image.
Until the 18th century, the teaching of the engraver's trade resorted to treatises and oral transmission in traditional family workshops. However, the technical complexity of metal engraving required lengthy and specialized training that required careful programming. It was the royal academies, San Fernando in Madrid from 1752 and San Carlos in Valencia from 1768, that systematized the study and practice of engraving.
In parallel to the teaching function of the Academy, the Royal Calcography, founded in 1789 as a permanent establishment of the Royal Printing Press, was decisive for the development of engraving in Spain. The National Chalcography has been diversifying its functions and activities until it has become a reference in the world of graphic art, only comparable to the Chalcographies of Paris and Rome.
Among its main objectives is the conservation of the almost 10,000 plates that it treasures, an artistic heritage of extraordinary value. The 228 copper plates by Francisco de Goya stand out, masterpieces in the history of engraving, a selection of which can be visited in the Goya Cabinet of the National Chalcography.
