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Ludwig von Siegen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the bishop, see Ludwig von Siegen (bishop).
Ludwig von Siegen (c. March 1609 Cologne – c. 1680 Wolfenbüttel, Germany) was a German soldier and amateur engraver, who invented the printmaking technique of mezzotint, a printing-process reliant on mechanical pressure used to print more complex engravings than previously possible. He was a well-educated aristocrat, and a Lieutenant-Colonel who commanded the personal guard of William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel), and acted as a personal aide to the ruler, with the title kammerjunker or Chamberlain.
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