Don Pietro dei Medici before 1691

Curator: This rather stoic gentleman staring back at us is Don Pietro dei Medici, rendered in etching and engraving by Adriaen Haelwegh, sometime before 1691. Isn't there something wonderfully severe about him? Editor: It’s the collar, isn't it? That exaggerated ruff, it traps his head like a bird in a gilded cage. What kind of paper are we looking at? Something laid, to hold all those fine lines of ink? Curator: I see your point about the collar; I imagine it would be torture to wear. Looking closely at the marks left from the engraving process, I can appreciate how the labor relates to Pietro’s high status and social expectations. All that crisp finery says one thing—expensive! Editor: It's interesting to think about the division of labor here—the patron who financed the portrait, the paper-maker whose skilled hands felt the fibers, and then Haelwegh, meticulously cutting into the plate. Engravings like this were prototypes, too, weren’t they? Each pull, potentially slightly different from the last. Curator: Exactly. Every mark, considered and deliberate. There is an undeniable gravity to this print. It whispers of old libraries, and forgotten political schemes, though the ribbons, garlands and decorative oval create something of an intimate mood around the portrait. Editor: These weren't mass produced objects for quick consumption in the way that digital images are today, either; what would it have meant to own this portrait of Don Pietro dei Medici? What level of specialized knowledge would have been necessary to properly appreciate it? Curator: I'd imagine that level of care definitely instilled a different kind of viewership; a certain solemn respect to each portrait of the sitter. Editor: Right—every interaction imbued with value… Anyway, the precision and care required by Haelwegh really brings the subject of the piece to life. I almost pity him. Curator: Pity him? For what, the ruff? Perhaps you're right; perhaps it wasn't all gilded. The craftsmanship, however, remains absolutely timeless.