Portret van een man met borstplaat en veer in zijn muts 1857 - 1914

This is a portrait of a man with a breastplate and feather in his hat, made by Nikolay Semyonovich Mosolov, presumably in the late 19th or early 20th century. The image is made through a process of etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, inked, and then printed onto paper. Here, the process is paramount. The intricate details of the man’s attire, from the delicate feather to the polished breastplate, are rendered through the careful manipulation of line. The texture and tone achieved through etching lend a tactile quality to the portrait, inviting us to consider the weight and feel of the materials depicted. Printmaking democratized image production in the 19th century, placing it within reach of a growing middle class. By embracing this medium, Mosolov participates in a wider social context of increased access to art and information. Looking closely at the artwork, we can see that materials, making, and context work together to challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.