Portret van Filips de Schone, hertog van Bourgondië 1644 - 1650

This portrait of Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy, was made by Jonas Suyderhoef in the 17th century using engraving. It’s a print, meaning that an image has been painstakingly incised into a metal plate, inked, and then pressed onto paper. Engraving is a highly skilled practice, requiring total control of line and texture. Notice the tremendous variety of marks that Suyderhoef employs – from long, flowing curves that define the Duke’s face, to densely packed hatching that creates the illusion of shadow and depth. The burin, a specialized tool with a v-shaped tip, is used to cut these lines into the copper. The image would have been printed and distributed in multiples, meeting a growing demand for portraiture among the rising middle class. This reflects a shift in the social status of art, as production methods allowed for a wider distribution of images. The very act of making the artwork ties into wider issues of labor, politics, and consumption, blurring the lines between fine art and craft.