Portret van Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Graf zu Schaumburg-Lippe 1748 - 1767

This is a portrait of Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Graf zu Schaumburg-Lippe, made by Johann Martin Bernigeroth using the technique of engraving. Look closely, and you’ll see it's a world of labor rendered in miniature. Bernigeroth would have used a burin, a handheld steel tool, to cut lines into a copper plate. The density and direction of these lines create the illusion of light and shadow, giving shape to the Count's face, his powdered wig, and the elaborate metalwork of his armor. Engraving like this was a highly skilled craft, demanding years of training. The prints it produced were luxury goods, designed to circulate images of power and status. Yet, the final product obscures the sheer amount of work that went into its making – the countless hours of focused labor required to translate flesh and metal into a network of precisely incised lines. Considering the material and the process invites us to reflect on the relationship between craft, representation, and the social hierarchies of the 18th century.