Portret van Abel de Servien 1652 - 1656

Pierre Daret made this engraving of Abel de Servien in the mid-17th century, and it's now in the Rijksmuseum. The medium here is humble: ink on paper, using a printing technique that was still relatively new at the time. The fine, precise lines you see are achieved through the careful work of an engraver, who would have used specialized tools to carve the image into a metal plate. Ink is then applied to the plate and paper pressed against it. The amount of work involved in this painstaking process is significant, particularly given the detail captured in the face, hair, and clothing of the subject. Consider the social context: printmaking, while not as highly valued as painting, was a crucial means of disseminating information and images. This portrait would have circulated among elites, reinforcing Servien's status and power. Ultimately, this engraving demonstrates how technical skill and material processes can imbue an object with cultural meaning, blurring the boundaries between craft and fine art.