Portret van Filippo Maria Visconti 1549 - 1575

This is a printed portrait of Filippo Maria Visconti, created by an anonymous artist through etching. The image is defined by the crisp, linear qualities of the etched line, which defines the Duke's profile, his distinctive hat, and the ornate frame surrounding him. The etcher would have covered a metal plate with a waxy ground, drawn through it with a needle to expose the metal, and then bathed the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, creating grooves that hold ink. This allows the image to be transferred to paper, producing multiple identical prints. Etching, like other printmaking techniques, was crucial for disseminating images widely and relatively cheaply. This particular portrait probably served to broadcast the Duke's power and status to a broad audience. The print medium flattens hierarchies, making images once exclusive to the wealthy accessible to a wider public. So, while the portrait depicts a powerful figure, the method of its production speaks to a democratization of art, blurring the lines between fine art and a more commercial, reproductive practice.