Reproductie van een prent van een portret van Oliver Cromwell before 1887

This anonymous print of Oliver Cromwell was likely made using etching or engraving. These are both processes that involve incising an image into a metal plate, inking it, and then transferring the image to paper through a press. What interests me most is how the print medium democratized images of power. Before photography, prints were a primary way to circulate portraits, allowing a wider public to access likenesses of important figures like Cromwell. The linear precision of the engraving captures the details of his armor, an indicator of status, but consider the labor involved in creating each individual print. Each one, however multiplied, is the result of a skilled artisan's work. This reproduction hints at the complex relationship between power, representation, and the means of production. It challenges our traditional art categories, asking us to consider the social and political context in which images are made and consumed.