Twee putti met kardinaalshoed boven een wapenschild 1608 - 1688

Claude Mellan made this print, *Twee putti met kardinaalshoed boven een wapenschild*, using the engraving technique. Rather than drawing freely, printmakers like Mellan laboriously cut lines into a metal plate, which would then be inked and pressed onto paper. Here, the medium is the message. The network of fine, closely-worked lines gives the image its delicate tonality, while also highlighting the sheer effort required to produce it. Consider the original function of prints like these: not as unique works of art, but as relatively affordable means of circulating images. This print would have allowed a wider audience to appreciate the cardinal's heraldry. It is a testament to the democratization of art, and in a way, also a clever marketing strategy. By mastering the craft of engraving, Mellan ensured his art, and by extension, the cardinal's status, could reach far beyond the elite circles of the time.