Charles 4.e- dit le bel / Prince sage..., from 'Game of the Kings of France' (Jeu des Rois de France) 1644

This is an engraving of Charles IV made by Stefano della Bella, likely sometime in the mid-17th century. The print belongs to a series known as the ‘Game of the Kings of France.’ Engraving is a printing process where the design is incised into a metal plate. Think of it as a painstaking form of mark-making, which then allows for the reproduction of an image many times over. The visual effect emphasizes line and detail, achieved by the artist's hand, guided by a burin, a specialized tool for cutting into metal. In this case, the print is not just a picture, but also a piece of proto-industrialization. The disciplined labor that went into making the printing plate is mirrored by the mass production that the technology enables. The print sits at the intersection of craft traditions and the burgeoning culture of commerce, offering insight into early modern Europe's visual and material world. Ultimately, it is a reminder that every image, however small, has a history of making deeply embedded within it.