Erik Rosenkrantz 1612 - 1681

Editor: This is "Erik Rosenkrantz", a print, specifically an engraving, by Hubert Schaten, dating from sometime between 1612 and 1681. There's a real sense of elaborate formality. What elements strike you most when considering this work? Curator: The density of symbolic figures and the very act of engraving itself are interesting starting points. Notice the clear hierarchy embedded in the visual construction – Rosenkrantz’s portrait as the focal point, almost manufactured into being, enshrined as a spectacle. But look closer: this wasn’t produced in a vacuum. What sort of labor went into the design and reproduction of this image? Consider the artisan, removed from the context of nobility and power, diligently transferring it onto a printing plate. Editor: So, you're pointing out a contrast. This image is of nobility, but its production involved, well, not nobility. Is there a statement about class embedded here? Curator: Precisely. Think about the consumption of such prints. Who was meant to view it, and for what purpose? Was it purely celebratory, or did it function as a kind of propaganda? The very materials involved – the paper, the ink, the metal plate – connect to larger systems of trade, labour, and even societal control. Note how even the 'allegorical' figures are meticulously crafted to endorse power through image dissemination. Editor: I never thought of prints having such an embedded socio-economic narrative. It's like reading a hidden language in the materials themselves. Curator: Exactly! The materiality provides crucial insights to understand how power and visual culture functioned. Next time you look at a work of art, consider not just the ‘what’ but also the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind its creation. Editor: Thanks! I see this print – and prints in general – with completely fresh eyes. I'm ready to consider them beyond the image portrayed and dig deep into its fabrication.