Nicolas Potier de Novion 1657

This portrait of Nicolas Potier de Novion was created by Robert Nanteuil using engraving, a printmaking process dating back to the fifteenth century. A design is manually incised into a metal plate, typically copper, using a tool called a burin. The incised lines are then filled with ink, and the plate is pressed onto paper. The precision and detail in this image—look at the soft lines of the face, the delicate rendering of the hair, and the careful detailing of the garment and laurel frame—show the level of skill required to create this artwork. Engraving was a highly skilled, time-consuming process, which made it a valued way of creating multiple images, whether for disseminating information, memorializing people, or celebrating artistic skill. The fact that this image was made using such a labor-intensive process reminds us of the close relationship between image-making and craft, and the way that both can embody wider social values.