Portret van Johannes Benedictus Kan 1896

This is Jan Veth's portrait of Johannes Benedictus Kan, made with etching, drypoint, and roulette. These are all printmaking techniques, reliant on an indirect process. The artist would have started with a copper plate, carefully drawing into its surface. The etched lines would have been created with acid, while the drypoint was scratched directly into the metal. For the granular areas of tone, he would have used the roulette, a spiked wheel that creates a field of tiny dots. Then, the plate would have been inked and printed. Look closely, and you can see the rich variation of mark-making, from crisp lines to soft, blurred textures. These are not traditional art materials, but the specialized tools of a printmaker. These processes create a powerful tension in the image. The softness of the lines creates an intimate portrayal, but it is offset by the subject's stern, business-like attire. The amount of work involved in the production process of this portrait emphasizes the importance of materials, making, and context in understanding the full meaning of an artwork, and challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.