Portret van Lodewijk, dauphin van Frankrijk 1670 - 1713

This is a portrait of Louis, the heir to the French throne, made by Pieter Schenk sometime around 1700. It’s an engraving, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed onto paper. Engraving is a demanding process. The artist uses a tool called a burin to manually cut lines into the metal. The depth and density of these lines determine the tones and textures of the final image. Look closely, and you can see the incredible precision required to render the Dauphin’s elaborate wig, the folds of his luxurious drapery, and the soft textures of the landscape behind him. The labor involved in creating such a detailed image speaks to the status of the sitter. Printmaking allowed for the mass production of images, but the skill and time required for a portrait like this ensured its value as a marker of wealth and power. It’s a fascinating intersection of craft, technology, and social hierarchy.