Portret van Nikolaes Versteeg 1771

This is Reinier Vinkeles's portrait of Nikolaes Versteeg, made using etching and engraving techniques. Look closely, and you'll see the intricate lines incised into the metal plate, each one carefully placed to create tone and texture. Vinkeles would have painstakingly cut these lines using specialized tools, demonstrating a mastery of craft and an eye for detail. The act of printing, itself, is a labour-intensive process, requiring pressure and precision to transfer the ink from the plate to the paper. The material qualities of the print – its crispness, the fineness of the lines, the subtle gradations of light and shadow – are all products of the engraver's skill. These techniques of printmaking allowed for the wide circulation of images, and in an age before photography, engraving was a crucial means of disseminating knowledge and documenting the world. The skills involved are easily overlooked, but the portrait reminds us of the labor and expertise embedded in the making of images, and of the role that craft plays in shaping our understanding of history.