Portret van Friedrich Bassermann 1826 - 1863

This is Lazarus Gottlieb Sichling's portrait of Friedrich Bassermann, made using a method called steel engraving. The process involves using hardened steel plates, onto which an image is incised using specialized tools. Steel offered a much harder surface than copper, enabling far more impressions to be taken before the plate wore down. This innovation was crucial to the explosion of print culture in the 19th century, allowing images to be widely disseminated and consumed. Look closely, and you’ll notice the extraordinary fineness of the lines. This precision allows for subtle gradations of tone, crucial to capturing the likeness of the sitter. The proliferation of printed images transformed visual culture. It democratized art by making images more accessible and affordable, but also raised questions about originality and authenticity. Considering the materials and processes behind this image invites us to see it not just as a portrait, but as a product of its time, deeply entwined with the forces of industrialization and mass production.