Johann Jakob Haid was from a German family of artists, engravers, and publishers kniown for their exqusite mezzotints throughout the eighteenth century. Much of his work focused on portraiture and translating paintings into prints, but his later work was done in "La Mniere Noir" (the black manner) and was highly decorative and often satirical or droll. His large mexotints were characterized by their brilliant, velvety, rich balck tones.