Gezicht op het Place Vendôme te Parijs 1818

François Louis Couché created this print of the Place Vendôme in Paris sometime in the first half of the 19th century, using engraving techniques. Engraving, like etching, is an indirect process. The artist uses tools to mark a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. In this case, fine lines are laid down to delineate the Place Vendôme and its central column, topped with a flag. The effect is crisp and precise, very much in keeping with the architecture itself. While the Place Vendôme is today a chic shopping destination, engravings like this one played an important role in the development of Paris as a modern, commercial city. They made its landmarks recognizable and reproducible, turning the city into a set of images as much as a physical place. Considering the amount of work required for the engraving process, it can be argued that the image is as much a product as the goods being traded in the square. This reminds us that all images, no matter how seemingly straightforward, have a material basis and a social context.