Prentserie van elf bladen met tekenvoorbeelden naar Gerard de Lairesse en een titelblad 1695

This is a series of eleven prints, plus a title page, made by Pieter van den Berge after designs by Gerard de Lairesse. These prints were made using engraving, a process that demanded a high level of skill and precision. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate, likely copper. Ink would then be applied to the plate, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. The dense network of fine lines defines form, creates shading, and captures the texture of the original drawings. The quality of the print depended on the engraver's mastery of the burin, the careful application of ink, and the pressure of the printing press. Each print represents a significant investment of time and labor, and a mastery of craft. Understanding the material process is essential, because it reminds us that images, like any other kind of object, are the product of skilled work.