Staande man met een hoed en een kruik in zijn hand 17th century

This standing figure with hat and jug was made by an anonymous artist using engraving, a printmaking technique with a long and fascinating history. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually cut lines into a metal plate. Ink is then applied to the plate, wiped off the surface, and then the plate is pressed onto paper. The ink held in the engraved lines transfers to the paper, creating the image. The crisp, precise lines and the fineness of the detail is a testament to the engraver’s skill, demonstrating mastery over the burin. Engraving has been associated with the distribution of information. It served as a means of mass production before photography and digital printing, making images accessible to a wider audience. Considering the material and the making reveals the image not just as art, but also as a product of skilled labor, technology, and the desire for broader access to visual culture.