Kwatrijnen bij de portretten van de courtisanes genaamd Madame E.S.R. en Bassonpiere of Rockefort 1635

This print, made by Crispijn van de Passe the Younger around the turn of the 17th century, combines image and text in a complex way. The primary material is the paper itself, likely a linen rag stock, which would have been quite precious at the time. The images and text were then etched into a copper plate, inked, and transferred to the paper under high pressure. Look closely, and you can see the embossed lines of the lettering. The portraits depict two courtesans, Madame E.S.R. and Bassonpiere or Rockefort, paired with poetic quatrains in multiple languages – a clear indication of the print’s intended audience among the educated elite. The labor involved is not only in the skilled printmaking, but also in the writing and translation of the text. This was a luxury product, designed to circulate within a rarified social sphere, both celebrating and moralizing about the figures it represents. Ultimately, by attending to the materials and processes of its making, we can understand this print not just as a work of art, but as a cultural artifact, deeply embedded in the social dynamics of its time.