Portret van een onbekende man 1660

This is a portrait of an unknown man by Jan van Troyen, created sometime in the 17th century using engraving. Engraving is an intaglio process where the image is incised into a plate, traditionally copper. Look closely, and you can see how the varying depth and density of these lines create the tones and textures of the portrait, from the soft fur collar to the patterned fabric of his doublet. This was achieved by manually pushing a tool called a burin through the metal, a labor-intensive process demanding considerable skill and control. Engravings like this one were crucial in disseminating images widely, functioning almost like printed photographs today. Consider the labor involved, the hand-eye coordination needed to translate an image into a network of precise lines. This reflects a pre-industrial mode of production, where craft skill was paramount, yet the printmaking process also anticipates the mass production of images that would later become commonplace. So, next time you look at a print, remember the deep collaboration between hand, tool, and material that went into its making.