Portret van Friedrich Wilhelm Wedag 1798

This is Jacob Mangot's portrait of Friedrich Wilhelm Wedag, made with etching and line engraving. The print’s tight hatching creates tones, and the linear details bring Wedag’s likeness to life. Prints like this existed in a fascinating intersection of art and industry. On the one hand, they involve a skilled artistic hand. On the other, they served as a relatively inexpensive way to circulate images of prominent people, satisfying a growing public appetite for portraits. Consider the labor involved: the drawing, the careful carving of the plate, the inking, and finally, the presswork. This wasn’t quite mass production, but it wasn’t exactly unique, precious art either. It occupies an interesting middle ground, reflecting the shifting social landscape of the 18th century. Looking closely at the print, you can appreciate the ways in which the material, production, and context all come together, blurring the lines between fine art, craft, and commodity.