Portret van Daniel Clasen 1665 - 1685

This engraving of Daniel Clasen was made by Christian Romstet, likely sometime around the late 17th or early 18th century. The image is made via the intaglio process, where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see the network of fine lines that create the image. Romstet would have used specialized tools to carefully carve the image, building up tone and texture through varying line weights and densities. The choice of engraving speaks to the social context of the time. Printmaking allowed for the wider dissemination of images, making portraits like this accessible to a broader audience beyond the wealthy elite who could afford painted portraits. The precision and detail achievable through engraving also lent an air of authority and permanence, appropriate for a portrait of an academic. Engravings like this reflect a complex interplay between artistic skill, technical expertise, and the social function of images in early modern society.