Portret van Georg Weinrich op 63-jarige leeftijd 1617

Conrad Grale created this portrait of Georg Weinrich at the age of 63. It's made with engraving, a printmaking technique involving cutting lines into a metal plate, filling them with ink, and transferring the image to paper. Engraving was essential to the early modern dissemination of knowledge, but it was also skilled handwork. Each line is a deliberate mark, requiring patience and precision. Look closely, and you can see how Grale varied the line weights to create a sense of depth and texture in Weinrich’s face and clothing. The density of lines speaks to the labor involved. Engravings like this were not just about recording appearances. They circulated ideas and promoted individuals within a specific social context. Weinrich, a senior professor of theology, is presented here as a figure of authority and intellect, his image carefully crafted through skilled labor. This portrait reminds us that art is not just about what is represented, but also about the means of representation.