Portret van een onbekende man gekleed als een Maltheser ridder 1560 - 1600

Editor: Here we have Johann Sadeler I's "Portret van een onbekende man gekleed als een Maltheser ridder," made sometime between 1560 and 1600. It's an engraving, so a print. The detail is astonishing, and I'm really struck by the contrast between the almost photorealistic face and the highly stylized robe. What’s your take on this, particularly considering it’s an engraving? Curator: Let’s consider the material reality of this engraving. Think about the labor involved – the meticulous, repetitive act of cutting lines into a copper plate. Each line, a deliberate act, contributing to the overall image and its intended effect. Look at the way the cross-hatching creates areas of shadow and depth; how that same process then conveys social information via his attire, which identifies him as a Knight of Malta. Editor: Right, the textures do seem really important, both the starkness and almost artificial crispness. Curator: Exactly! And how does the print medium itself democratize the image? An engraving allows for multiple reproductions. So, what does it mean to circulate this image, this carefully constructed identity, more widely? Who had access to this image and for what purposes? This becomes a question of accessibility, and power! Editor: So, the *making* of the print becomes as significant as what the portrait is communicating about the sitter himself? Curator: Precisely. The engraving isn’t just a likeness; it's a commodity produced through labor and consumed within a specific social context, to demonstrate the persona of its subject. By understanding its mode of creation and dispersal, it reveals the society for which and in which it was crafted. Editor: That gives me a whole new perspective on the relationship between art, labour and social class. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure! Hopefully, it encourages a more critical consideration of the value that we often assign to 'originality', especially when considering printmaking.