Christiansbourg Palais de Copenhague. Coupe de la grande facade de l'entrée de la premiere Cour 1747

This print, Christiansbourg Palais de Copenhague, was made by Louis Auguste Le Clerc. The image shows a cut-away view of the palace, allowing a glimpse into its construction. You can see the scaffolding, the unfinished walls, the whole process laid bare. Look closely at the printmaking technique itself, presumably etching or engraving, it shares a direct relationship to the manual labor and the social context of the palace's construction. The print isn't just a depiction of a building, but an index of the immense labor required to create such a structure, one commissioned to project power. The palace, in its grand scale and intricate detail, reflects the intense concentration of resources and the workforce engaged in its making. By focusing on the materials, the making process, and the social context of this print, we start to see how it challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.