Portret Johan van Suren 1588

Hendrick Goltzius created this engraving of Johan van Suren around 1591 using a technique known as "burin engraving." This wasn't just drawing; it was a highly skilled process of incising lines directly into a copper plate with a specialized tool, the burin. The depth and spacing of these lines determined the tones and textures of the final print. Look closely, and you’ll see the incredible level of detail achieved – the furrows in van Suren’s brow, the texture of his fur-lined coat, even the delicate paper he holds. Engraving was not only a reproductive technique, allowing for the wide distribution of images, but also a sophisticated art form in its own right. The labor-intensive nature of the process, requiring years of training to master, imbued the prints with a sense of value and prestige, which were clearly of importance in the burgeoning print market of the Dutch Golden Age. The commercial possibilities inherent in printmaking meant that artists like Goltzius became important figures in a rapidly expanding visual culture.