Wapenschild van Närke 1696

This engraving, Wapenschild van Närke, features a shield with crossed arrows and roses, all rendered with precise lines and textures through the intaglio printmaking process. The engraver skillfully used tools to cut lines into a metal plate, creating an image that speaks to the history and identity of the region. The arrows and roses are not just decorative; they are symbolic. They invoke a range of cultural and social significance. The process of engraving itself connects this artwork to a wider history of skilled labor and craft production. Each line on the plate represents a deliberate choice made by the artist, and the act of printing would have been labor-intensive. In addition to the time spent cutting the matrix and printing the image, the work might have been intended as a visual representation of power, or civic pride. Ultimately, the engraving invites us to consider the relationship between materials, making, and the social context in which art is produced. It collapses the boundaries between craft and fine art.