Portret van Jakob Friedrich van Bielfeld 1766

This portrait of Jakob Friedrich van Bielfeld was made by Jacob Folkema, using the intaglio printmaking technique of etching. In this process, a metal plate is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant material. The artist then scratches an image into this coating, exposing the metal underneath. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. The longer the plate remains in the acid bath, the deeper the lines become, allowing for variations in tone and texture. When printed, these etched lines hold ink, creating a raised image on the paper. Look closely, and you can see the fineness of the lines Folkema was able to achieve, defining the details of van Bielfeld's clothing and the texture of his fur stole. This level of detail speaks to the artist’s mastery of the etching process and the cultural importance placed on representing status through clothing at this time. By understanding the materials and making of this print, we can appreciate it not just as an image, but as a tangible piece of social and cultural history.