Portret van Maximiliaan Emanuel II 1677 - 1724

This is a portrait of Maximilian Emanuel II, etched in metal by Jacob Gole in the late 17th or early 18th century. It’s not a unique painting but a print, a multiple. So, its value is not tied to singular artistic genius, but rather to the skill of the engraver, and the number of impressions he could produce. Look closely, and you’ll notice how Gole has used tiny parallel lines to create areas of shade, and finer, dotted textures to model the face. These are all achieved through the controlled, repetitive action of a tool against the metal plate. The resulting image is a direct product of this labor. The choice of printmaking, rather than painting, speaks volumes about the changing status of art in this period. It became less about unique artworks commissioned by the wealthy, and more about readily available images, circulated widely. What we see here is the rise of a new visual economy.