Portret van Johann van Giffen 1652

This is a portrait of Johann van Giffen, made by Matthäus Merian the First. It’s an engraving: a print pulled from a metal plate. The image is made entirely from lines, which give tone and texture. Notice the density of marks used to model Giffen’s face, especially around the eyes, nose, and mouth, indicating that the artist wanted to emphasize these features. The varying widths of the lines create a sense of depth and shadow, lending the portrait a three-dimensional quality. Engraving was a highly skilled profession; a laborious technique reflecting the values of precision and detail, also a repeatable, commercial process. The act of engraving, with its reliance on manual skill and painstaking effort, elevates the craft of printmaking to the status of fine art. It also democratizes art, making it more accessible to wider audiences, reflecting the changing social dynamics of the 17th century. It shows how this work challenges distinctions between high art and craft.