Ogen die via een spiegel naar een voorwerp kijken 1679

This print, "Eyes Looking at an Object Through a Mirror," was made by Sébastien Leclerc I, sometime before his death in 1714. It's an engraving, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, probably copper, and then printed onto paper. Consider the labor involved in this process. First, the engraver would need to have great skill with a burin, the tool used to cut the lines. The depth and spacing of these lines create the image. Then, the plate would be inked, and the paper pressed against it with considerable force. This was a highly skilled trade, situated between the worlds of art, craft, and industrial production. The print is not just an image, but also an artifact of its making. The crispness of the lines, the evenness of the ink, all speak to the artisan's mastery. By focusing on the materiality and production of this print, we can better understand its place in the wider world of art and commerce.