Portret van Friedrich Leopold Freiherr von Schrötter 1800

Curator: This is a print from 1800. It’s a portrait of Friedrich Leopold Freiherr von Schrötter, by Heinrich Sintzenich. Editor: The man's face seems a little puffy. But look at the uniform, the textures—the paper has been worked beautifully. You can see how much time and effort went into this printmaking. Curator: Absolutely. Schrötter was a very important figure in Prussian history. He was a key advisor to the king, managing the state during a turbulent period of reform and war. These portraits were part of the process of image building. Editor: So, was it printed with etching or engraving? It is tough to say. The amount of detail is amazing either way. Look at the ruffles— they are incredible. Think of how precisely the printmaker had to carve to achieve that lacey effect. It all must have taken so long. Curator: Prints like this one allowed his image to be widely disseminated at a time before photography. And to your point about labor, printmaking allowed for easier, even mass, production. Meaning his face was something that people, important and otherwise, might recognise and know. Editor: Exactly, printmaking democratizes images, makes them more accessible. Although of course, in 1800 it was not nearly so accessible as it is now in the age of digital images. But for the period, it was more available than oil painting or sculpture. Curator: Well, I'm struck by the subtle interplay between the public role and the private person – what parts of himself he would allow into the official rendering and what he would hold back. He does not seem at all impressed with us viewing his image centuries after his death. Editor: Indeed! I was absorbed by the materiality of this print, its making, and you brought me to the man, Schrötter himself. Curator: And you encouraged me to consider the material labor involved in perpetuating his image.