Portret van Johannes Zwinger 1673 - 1740

This portrait of Johannes Zwinger was created by Johann Georg Seiller, using the technique of engraving. Look closely, and you’ll notice the extraordinary level of detail that Seiller achieved through the painstaking process of carving lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. This was hardly an industrial process, but it did rely on division of labor. The design might be made by one artist, the engraving done by another, and the printing by yet another still. The very act of engraving is a metaphor for the way social status was earned and maintained in the 17th and 18th centuries. It took time, dedication, and skill to produce such an image, just as it took those qualities to climb the ranks of society. This wasn't just an image; it was a statement of Zwinger's position and a testament to the engraver’s skill. Engravings like this remind us that even seemingly simple images are the result of complex processes, and that art and craft are always intertwined with the social and economic forces of their time.