Hendrik IV 1620 - 1664

This engraving of Hendrik IV, now in the Rijksmuseum, was made by Stefano della Bella, a prolific printmaker working in the 17th century. The image, created using a painstaking process of incising lines into a metal plate, depicts the monarch in a lavishly ornamented chariot, pulled by four horses. Note the intricacy of the detailing, from the horses' manes to the swirling decoration of the chariot. This kind of precision was highly valued at the time, and required immense skill on the part of the engraver, often working long hours in a workshop setting. Prints like this were luxury goods, circulated among the elite, and served as propaganda, reinforcing the power and grandeur of the monarchy. They were also a means for artists like della Bella to make a living, by reproducing and disseminating images for a paying audience. So the next time you see an engraving, consider the labor and social context that went into its making. The value lies not just in the image itself, but in the human effort and cultural significance it embodies.