Portret van Johann Heinrich Holtzhalb 1678

This portrait of Johann Heinrich Holtzhalb was made by Conrad Meyer, probably in the mid-17th century, using an engraving technique. Look closely, and you'll see the entire image is comprised of tiny lines incised into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. The quality of the line – its thickness and density – would have depended entirely on Meyer’s skill with the burin, a specialized cutting tool. The image emerges from a process of controlled labor. Of course, Holtzhalb himself would have been very interested in the relationship between labor and capital. As a consul, he was part of a rising merchant class, whose wealth depended on trade and manufacture. Meyer’s image quietly celebrates this social class, and the means by which it was made manifest. Seen in this light, the image invites us to reflect not only on Holtzhalb’s life and times, but also on the often-unacknowledged work that goes into the creation of any artwork.