Portret van August Pfeiffer 1704

This is Jan van Vianen's portrait of August Pfeiffer, made with etching and engraving, a printmaking process dating back to the fifteenth century. The artist created the portrait by incising lines into a metal plate, likely copper. Acid would have been used to bite the lines, allowing them to hold ink, before being printed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the intricate network of lines that define the image, rendering textures, volumes, and fine details. Engraving and etching allowed for the mass production of images, contributing to the circulation of ideas and information, as well as playing a role in commerce. Printmaking requires skilled labor, and the level of detail here speaks to the expertise of the artist, and the social status of the sitter. Considering this print, we are reminded that images, like objects, are made, and that their production is deeply intertwined with social and economic forces.