Portret van Johann Heinrich Bullinger 1759 - 1815

Editor: So, this is a portrait of Johann Heinrich Bullinger, made sometime between 1759 and 1815 by Heinrich Pfenninger. It's an engraving, a kind of print. The detail is quite remarkable! How was this print produced, and what might it tell us about its social context? Curator: An excellent question. Think about the labour involved in creating this engraving. The tools, the artisan's skill, the time invested...these prints allowed for the mass dissemination of images, like this portrait. Consider what it meant to make a likeness accessible. Editor: It's fascinating to think of "mass dissemination" in this era. It feels different than digital images today. What kind of audience would consume such prints, and where would they encounter them? Curator: The engraving medium speaks volumes. Unlike unique paintings destined for wealthy patrons, engravings fostered wider circulation, impacting workshops, artisans, and the expanding merchant class. So, beyond its artistic merit, what were the working conditions? Who benefited from its circulation and consumption? Editor: Thinking about the accessibility and consumption, it shifts my perspective. It makes me wonder who purchased them and why? Was it about commemorating an important figure or a reflection of a growing middle class that valued portraits? Curator: Precisely. What was the paper source? The engraver's payment? It wasn's just aesthetics. The raw materials and working hands were crucial, creating a ripple effect that touches on production and economic shifts of that time. The image itself became a commodity within a network of making. Editor: That is really interesting. I never thought about the process of it becoming widespread. Thank you. I definitely have a deeper appreciation, understanding the print within its material context. Curator: Likewise, reflecting on this production process makes one question the art form of labor value of engravings!