Portret van Karel, hertog van Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1814

This is a portrait of Charles, the Hereditary Prince of Mecklenburg Strelitz, made by Giovanni Vendramini using engraving. It’s an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a plate, likely made of copper. The network of fine lines creates tone through their density, giving the face a subtle volume and texture. Look closely and you can see how the engraver has varied the marks to suggest the different materials of skin, hair, and fabric. Engraving like this was a highly skilled practice, demanding years of training to master the burin, the tool used to cut the lines. In its time, the printmaking trade supported a vast industry, reproducing paintings and disseminating images widely. In a sense, then, this portrait is an early example of mechanical reproduction—akin to photography today. By emphasizing this aspect, we see the image not just as a depiction of royalty, but as a product of labor, skill, and the economics of image-making.