Jacob Christoph Le Blon - May 2, 1667 – May 16, 1741

Le Blon was a German painter and engraver and tapestry maker. 

He began experimenting with color-printing in 1710, and in 1719 was granted a privilege by George I to reproduce pictures and drawings in full color. His company went bankrupt in 1725.  In1725 he published Coloritto: Or the Harmony of Coloring in Painting for his CMYK then was granted a tapestry weaving business which also went bankrupt. His engraving business was to reproduce works of art using his three mezzotint plates, using red, yellow and blue ink.

This engraving was done by his assistant Arnaud Éloi Gautier-d'Agoty (d. 1771).  He was also the first to print them in full color in large scale.

He invented the system of three and four color printing which is the CMYK scale which he patented.

Cyan Magenta Yellow black

CMYK would be put together to form an image with every color

He used the mezzotint method to engrave three or four metal plates to make prints with a wide range of colors.  He helped form modern color printing.

This is a page from his book.

Le Blons methods were ultimately very hard to create and required extensive trial and error; which is why his businesses failed.  His practice was used in France after his death until the 19^th century where it evolved into chromolithography (Making multi-color prints). His methods were perfected using color photography and half-tone printing in the late 19^th century. He was inspired by scientific ideas to develop concepts that were in turn connected to other artist practices. Creating this connection was a production goal and a selling point for scientists, artisans, and consumers.  His cmyk scale what the base was the base for modern photography up until a few years ago when digital photography came into existance

Christoph Le Blon painting of Louis XV king of France

 

Le Blon's Head of a Woman 1725

Greyscale