Portret van Christian Felix Weisse 1776 - 1824

This is a portrait of Christian Felix Weisse, made by Johann Christian Ernst Müller. It’s an engraving, a printmaking technique with a long history. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to cut lines into a metal plate, likely copper. Ink is then applied to the plate, and then wiped off the surface, remaining only in the incised lines. The image is transferred to paper under high pressure, creating a very fine, detailed image. Think about the labor involved in this process, the skilled hand meticulously carving each line. Engravings like this were often made in multiples, serving as a means of disseminating images and ideas widely. This was a key technology in the rise of mass media, connecting to broader social issues of communication and knowledge sharing. So, next time you look at an engraving, remember it's not just an image, but a testament to human skill, labor, and the power of reproducible media.