Portretten van Elizabeth van Lotharingen (?) en gravin Henrietta de Coligny, beiden als herderin 1640

Crispijn van de Passe the Younger created this print of Elizabeth of Lorraine and Henrietta de Coligny as shepherdesses, using engraving techniques. The sharp lines and fine detail result from carving into a metal plate, inking it, and pressing it onto paper. This was a labor-intensive process, demanding precision and skill, placing it within a tradition of highly skilled printmaking. The choice of material, and the process involved, reflect a tension between the pastoral ideal and the realities of courtly life. Engraving, a process associated with mass production and dissemination, is used to depict aristocratic figures playing at simplicity. The contrast underscores the distance between the subjects and the lives of actual shepherdesses, while also celebrating the technical skill required to produce such an intricate image. By understanding the materials and techniques involved, we can appreciate how this print engages with ideas about class, labor, and the construction of identity in early modern Europe.