Portret van Joh. Conrad Wepferus 1673 - 1740

This portrait of Joh. Conrad Wepferus was made by Johann Georg Seiller, employing the intaglio printmaking technique of engraving. It is a print, where the lines of the image are incised into a metal plate, allowing for fine detail. The success of engraving depended on the skill of the artisan, the engraver. The image's success depends on skilled labor, politics, and consumption. The fine lines you see here create tonal variations and textures, capturing not only the likeness of Wepferus, but also the material qualities of his clothing and the surrounding drapery. The process of engraving is time-consuming, indicative of the status afforded to the sitter. Consider how the medium itself - the labor-intensive process and the reproducibility of the print – reflects the social context of the time, in which the image could be disseminated to a wider audience, affirming Wepferus’s status. Through such works we see how processes of making are deeply entwined with social and cultural values.