Vrouw met antieke helm, mogelijk een portret van Jeanne d'Arc 1801

This portrait, likely of Joan of Arc, was made by Johann Friedrich Bolt, using the technique of etching. This involved drawing into a wax ground on a metal plate with a sharp needle, then bathing the plate in acid to bite the lines. Look closely, and you'll notice the extraordinary subtlety of line Bolt achieved. This wasn’t simply a matter of technical skill; it reflected a specific set of values. In Bolt’s time, printmaking was becoming increasingly industrialized, with ever larger editions produced for an expanding market. Yet he stayed committed to older methods, where quality, not quantity, was paramount. The relative labor-intensiveness of etching ensured that it remained a medium associated with connoisseurship. Prints like this one weren't made for mass consumption, but for a discerning audience that appreciated the nuance of handcraft. This gives the work a deeper meaning, rooted in a particular moment in the history of production.