Portret van Johan van Galen c. 1653 - 1670

This print, Portret van Johan van Galen, was made by Cornelis Goutsbloem in the 17th century, using engraving. As a process, engraving begins with a metal plate, into which the image is incised, typically with a tool called a burin. The lines are then filled with ink, and the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. What's fascinating here is the way that this process affects our perception of the man. Every line speaks to the skill and labor of the artist. It is also a printing process, which gives it a different kind of authority. Johan van Galen was a Dutch admiral, and here he is memorialized through the sharp, reproducible medium of engraving. The image is both a work of art and a kind of public record. Engraving in its essence is a process rooted in craft, design, and material precision. It's not just about aesthetics; it's about labor, politics, and consumption, all interwoven into the final artwork. It reminds us that art is not separate from the world around it, but deeply embedded within it.