Portret van Gottfried Schadeloock 1735

Bernhard Vogel created this portrait of Gottfried Schadeloock in the early 18th century using a sophisticated printmaking technique known as mezzotint. This process, which translates as ‘half-tone’ in Italian, involves roughening a copper plate with a tool called a ‘rocker’ to create thousands of tiny dots that hold ink. The artist then smooths areas of the plate to varying degrees, creating lighter tones and highlights in the final print. Look closely, and you can see how Vogel masterfully manipulated this labor-intensive process to capture the textures of Schadeloock's clothing, wig, and skin. The velvety richness of the mezzotint lends the portrait a sense of depth and realism that was highly prized by the wealthy middle class, who were looking to assert their status through commissioning portraits, as only the aristocracy would do. This print exemplifies how craft and technique could elevate an image to an object of considerable cultural and social significance.