Portret van Ulrich Zwingli 1775 - 1840

This print of Ulrich Zwingli was made by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen using an engraving technique. Engraving involves using a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate, in this case likely copper. Look closely and you’ll notice the lines are denser in the darker areas, creating tone and volume. The artist would have had to apply considerable pressure to the burin, making each groove with precision. This was not a quick process; the image emerges through careful labor. Prints like this one, made in multiples, existed in a different economic sphere than unique works of art. They made images and ideas accessible to a wider audience, circulating them almost like currency. This particular portrait is interesting as an artifact of dissemination – a reminder that even images have a material life and a social context.