Portret van Gaspard Duarte 1657

This is Lucas Vorsterman the First’s portrait of Gaspard Duarte, made with engraving sometime before 1675. This artwork comes from the traditional art practice of engraving, where the artist etches lines into a metal plate, applies ink, and then transfers the image onto paper. What's compelling is the immense labor involved in creating such intricate details. Each line, each shadow, is carefully carved by hand, demanding both technical skill and artistic vision. The very act of engraving, with its repetitive motions and meticulous process, reflects the values of craft. But it also speaks to a larger social context. Vorsterman was one of the main printmakers for Peter Paul Rubens, which means he was, in effect, a skilled worker in a larger, very successful commercial enterprise. The way in which the artist uses the tools and techniques imbues the image with a sense of social and cultural significance. It challenges the separation of art from craft, urging us to consider the labor and social context behind every work we see.