Jean-Baptiste le Prince

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Jean-Baptiste le Prince

1734-1781

French artist and engraver who developed the etching technique called "aquatint." This new method enabled engravers to duplicate some of the more delicate effects of watercolors and wash drawings. Le Prince, however, is best remembered as an artist rather than an inventor. He earned commissions from the Czar of Russia and was elected to the Acadámie as a history painter.