Portret van Friedrich Wilhelm III van Pruisen 1797 - 1840

This is a portrait of Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, made by Willem van Senus. It is an etching, a printmaking technique that relies on acid to bite into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed onto paper. The etcher's skill is evident in the fine lines and subtle gradations of tone, used to convey the King's likeness and the texture of his uniform. But beyond the artistry, etching was also a mode of production, capable of reproducing images efficiently. In this period, portraiture was still largely the domain of the wealthy. Yet printed images allowed for wider distribution. Consider the labor involved, from the preparation of the plate to the final print. This was a period of increasing industrialization, and the print trades were at the forefront, straddling the line between craft and factory production. The very material of the print, paper, ink, and metal, speaks to a world of expanding commerce and the rise of a new visual culture. By understanding the process, we can appreciate not just the image, but also the complex social and economic forces at play in its making.