Portret van Don Francisco de Quevedo Villegas 1670 - 1725

This print of Don Francisco de Quevedo Villegas was made by Michiel van der Gucht around the turn of the 18th century. It is an engraving, a process that requires a metal plate, tools called burins to incise the image, and ink to transfer that image onto paper. Notice the fineness of the lines, particularly in the face, which create shading and texture. Van der Gucht would have spent hours, if not days, carefully carving these lines to capture the likeness of Quevedo. The inscription at the bottom, "M.V. Gucht Sculp," proudly declares his role not just as a copyist, but as a skilled artisan – a "sculptor" in his own right, but working with metal and ink rather than stone or clay. Engravings like these were often made in multiples, they played a crucial role in disseminating images and ideas in an age before photography, connecting the spheres of art, craft, and social communication. Looking closely at the way things are made helps us to appreciate not only the skill involved, but also the wider context in which art exists.