Le chancelier Louis Boucherat 1677

Robert Nanteuil made this engraving of Louis Boucherat, a high-ranking French official, using a technique called burin engraving. This involved meticulously cutting lines into a copper plate, which would then be inked and printed, and required tremendous skill and precision. The image’s fineness gives a sense of Boucherat’s status, with the complex swirls of his wig, the lace trim, and the lettering around the edge all rendered in exquisite detail. These portraits were luxury goods, often collected and bound into albums. The quality of the engraving reflected well on the sitter, demonstrating his ability to commission the best artisans. But it is not just the fineness that’s important. Engravings like this also speak to a rapidly expanding economy of images. They could be reproduced in multiples, and circulated widely, contributing to the construction of Boucherat’s public image, and solidifying his position in the social hierarchy. So, we might say this print represents the intersection of craft, power, and early capitalism.