Interieur van de bibliotheek in het huis van Christoffel Plantijn before 1886

This photogravure of Christoffel Plantijn’s library was made by Joseph Maes sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Photogravure is a printing process that translates a photograph into an image etched on a copper plate, then printed on paper. The choice of this process is significant. Plantijn himself was a printer in Antwerp in the 16th century, at one time the most prolific in Europe. He was an early industrialist, employing over 100 people at one point, and using the most cutting-edge technology of his day. By employing photogravure, Maes invokes a tradition of craftsmanship and mechanization that mirrors Plantijn’s own practices. Consider the contrast: Plantijn used the printing press to disseminate knowledge, while Maes uses a similar process to memorialize Plantijn's legacy. This underscores how making and context are crucial to understanding art, challenging the conventional gap between fine art and craft.