Titelpagina voor: André Tacquet, Opera mathematica, 1669 1668 - 1669

Richard Collin made this title page for André Tacquet's "Opera Mathematica" in 1669, using engraving on laid paper. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning the image is incised into a metal plate, then filled with ink and printed. Look closely, and you can see how Collin used fine lines to create tone and texture. The density of these lines determines the depth of shadow, while areas left blank represent highlights. This painstaking process required immense skill and patience, a real investment of labor. In this title page, cherubs are using mathematical instruments, set in front of a landscape. The print would have been one step in a longer manufacturing process of bookmaking, involving typesetters, printers, and binders. The artistry in Collin's engraving, combined with the mathematical content of the book itself, reminds us that knowledge production relies on both intellectual and manual work. It blurs the boundaries between art, craft, and science.