Portret van Dante Alighieri c. 1633 - 1650

This print of Dante Alighieri was made by Cornelis Galle I around 1600, using the technique of engraving. Look closely, and you'll see it’s made up of thousands of tiny lines incised into a copper plate, which would then have been inked and pressed onto paper. The process of engraving demands meticulous skill, and was an essential method for reproducing images before photography. In Galle's time, printmaking was increasingly industrialized, yet still relied on expert handwork to create the fine detail seen here. The texture of the engraved lines gives the print its distinctive visual quality, from the dense shading of Dante's face to the precise rendering of the allegorical scenes framing his portrait. Consider the labor involved: Galle would have spent hours, maybe days, hunched over the plate, carefully cutting each line. This speaks to a pre-industrial work ethic, where value was placed on patience and precision. Yet, as a printed image, this portrait also participates in a burgeoning economy of mass production and consumption. It's a fascinating intersection of craft, labor, and the rise of visual culture.