Portret van Nicolaas van Flüe

This print of Nicolaus von Flüe was made by Heinrich Pfenninger, sometime before his death in 1815. It's an engraving, which is to say, the image was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, and then printed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the crisp lines that define the profile. These weren't drawn freely; they were cut into the plate using a tool called a burin. The engraver would have to apply considerable pressure, and follow the design exactly. There was no room for error. Prints like this were relatively cheap and easy to reproduce, and became very popular during the Industrial Revolution. The contrast between the skilled labor of the engraver and the mass production of the print itself really highlights the changing nature of work at the time. These prints helped spread ideas and images far and wide. So, while this may seem like a simple portrait, it's also a window into the world of labor, politics, and consumption in Pfenninger's time.