Portret van Johannes Binch op 66-jarige leeftijd 1661

Johann Mantzius created this portrait of Johannes Binch, a pastor, using engraving – a printmaking technique that flourished due to the rise of the printing press. Engraving involves cutting lines into a metal plate, filling these with ink, and then pressing paper against the plate to transfer the image. The fine, precise lines you see here are a direct result of this process. It demanded considerable skill, transforming a drawing into a matrix for mass production. The resulting image had an authority all its own. In Binch's era, printed portraits were not just art; they were vital tools for disseminating likeness and status. Think of them as the social media profiles of the 17th century. Mantzius, as an engraver, was thus not just an artist but a key player in the era’s visual culture, mediating between the sitter and the public. Considering this portrait in terms of its making reminds us that art is always embedded in broader networks of labor, technology, and social exchange.