Portret van Albrecht Dürer 1629

This print portraying Albrecht Dürer was made by Andries Stock in 1629 using engraving. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually cut lines into a metal plate, a process demanding high skill and precision. Notice the sheer amount of labor involved in producing this image. Every line defining Dürer’s face, the curls of his hair, and the texture of his fur-lined coat was incised by hand. The quality of line determines the overall appearance and the texture of the print. This process allowed for the reproduction and distribution of images, thus enabling wider access to art and knowledge during the early modern period. The print is more than a portrait; it's a testament to the skilled labor that underpins artistic production. By appreciating the making process, we recognize printmaking as a crucial intersection of art, craft, and social communication.