Portret van Johann Balthasar Ritter 1654 - 1693

This is a portrait of Johann Balthasar Ritter, made by Elias Hainzelmann in the 17th century. It’s an engraving, meaning the image was carved into a metal plate, likely copper, inked, and then printed onto paper. The dense network of fine lines creates tone and texture, from the sitter's voluminous hair and crisp collar, to the stark memento mori of the skull. This was a labor-intensive process, demanding skilled handwork to achieve such detail. But it allowed for the creation of multiple identical images: a crucial attribute in an age before photography. Prints like this one were essential for disseminating images and ideas. This portrait would have served to commemorate Ritter, a preacher, circulating his likeness amongst his community. This wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about crafting a public persona, a kind of early form of social media. Engravings like this demonstrate how printmaking democratized representation, moving image-making away from unique paintings and into the realm of mass production.