Biskop Mads Jensen 1633

This is Simon de Pas's engraving of Biskop Mads Jensen, made around 1633. It's a print, meaning it was made by incising lines into a metal plate, inking it, and pressing it onto paper. Look closely, and you can see how the density of lines creates the illusion of shadow and form. The controlled, repetitive labor involved in this process mirrors the social hierarchies of the time. Printmaking was essential to disseminate imagery and ideas, but also required skilled labor and access to materials. Consider how the texture of the paper interacts with the ink, giving the image a tactile quality despite being a reproduction. This piece gives us insight into the intersection of artistic skill, social status, and the technologies of image production in the 17th century. By recognizing the labor and materials involved, we gain a richer understanding of its cultural significance.