Portret van Johannes Nicolaesz. Visscher 1647 - 1676

Theodor Matham made this portrait of Johannes Nicolaesz Visscher at an unknown date using engraving. The printmaking process involves meticulous, physically demanding labor. Matham would have used a tool called a burin to carve lines into a metal plate, inking the plate and then pressing it onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the dense matrix of lines that create the image’s tones and details. The very qualities of this print – its reproducibility and relatively low cost – made it a powerful medium for disseminating images and ideas. This portrait would have allowed Visscher to circulate his image widely, a form of early public relations. Prints like this one played a crucial role in the development of a visual culture available beyond the elite. By understanding the labor and technology involved, we can appreciate how such images shaped social identities and aspirations.