Portret van Hans Heinrich von Heßler 1680 - 1733

This print of Hans Heinrich von Heßler was made by Martin Bernigeroth, probably in the early 1700s. It's made with etching and engraving, meaning the image was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then pressed onto paper. Look closely, and you can see how the crisp lines create textures, from the flowing wig to the polished armor. Bernigeroth was a master of this process, skillfully manipulating the material to capture the sitter's status. This wasn't just a portrait; it was a carefully crafted representation of power and wealth. The labor-intensive techniques employed here speak to a culture that valued skilled handwork. Prints like these played a key role in disseminating images and ideas, acting as a kind of early social media, reflecting the hierarchies of the time. But they also remind us of the many hands involved in image-making, beyond just the named artist. The engraver, the printer, and the distributor all contributed to the final product, each playing their part in a complex system of production and consumption.