Portret van kardinaal Alfonso Litta 1664 - 1691

This is a print of Cardinal Alfonso Litta, made with engraving techniques, which were developed in the 15th century. The process involved incising lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then transferring the image onto paper with a printing press. The fine lines and intricate details you see here were painstakingly etched by hand. This was skilled labor, and the success of the print depended on the engraver’s expertise. While we don’t know who made this particular print, it would have been a specialist, someone with a distinct artisanal practice. Prints like this played a vital role in disseminating images and information, so it is interesting to consider how printmaking influenced cultural trends and social issues through accessible visual communication. In this case, the image served to publicize Cardinal Litta, and reinforce his authority. When we look at a print like this, we should think about not just the image, but the labor and social context that brought it into being.