Staande officier met wandelstok 1630 - 1665

Salomon Savery made this etching of a standing officer with a walking stick sometime in the 17th century. It’s made using a printmaking technique with the marvelous capacity to convey fine detail. Look closely, and you'll see how each line is like a furrow plowed in a field, built from tiny marks. The ink settles into these, creating a velvety texture that’s quite different from a drawing. The contrast between the crisp lines of the officer and the soft background shows just how versatile this technique is. What makes this more than just an image, though, is its reproducibility. Prints like this one circulated widely, spreading ideas and styles across Europe. They are the social media of their day. By appreciating the labor and skill involved in creating this print, we see how art and craft intertwine to shape our understanding of the world.