Aanbidding van Venus 1622

This engraving, "Adoration of Venus," was made by Pieter Serwouters. The image is entirely composed of lines incised into a metal plate, likely copper, and then printed. Notice the contrast between the smooth areas, like the bodies of Venus and Cupid, and the densely packed lines that create the foliage and textures of garments. This required absolute mastery of the burin, the engraving tool. The amount of labour involved is remarkable – every millimeter of the image is the result of Serwouters’ hand. The engraving process was not only painstaking, but also reproductive. It allowed images to be disseminated widely, contributing to the culture of collecting and connoisseurship that was emerging at the time. The print medium democratized images, but also turned them into commodities, circulating within an economy of desire and display. Thinking about the materials and processes behind this seemingly straightforward image gives us a better understanding of its cultural value and the important place that such prints occupied in their time.