Album met prenten naar Italiaanse schilderijen uit de collectie van aartshertog Leopold Willem van Oostenrijk 1660

This album, now in the Rijksmuseum, was assembled by diverse makers, containing prints after Italian paintings from the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria. Its marbled cover is what I find particularly compelling. Marbling is an old and venerable technique, achieved by floating pigments on a viscous liquid, manipulating them into patterns, and then transferring the design to paper. The result is this stone-like effect, which gives the album a sense of gravitas, perfectly suited for the important contents within. The swirling patterns are not accidental. Skilled artisans used combs and rakes to create the feathery, organic forms you see. This was a painstaking process, demanding precision and control, while also allowing for a degree of serendipity. It’s a reminder that even in reproductive printmaking, craft and materiality play a significant role. The production of the album relied not only on the work of artists and engravers, but also on the expertise of these highly skilled bookbinders. Appreciating the artistry of this cover challenges our assumptions about artistic value and the hierarchy of the arts.