Portret van Pieter van Foreest 1586 - 1588

Hendrick Goltzius made this portrait of Pieter van Foreest in 1586 with engraving, a printmaking technique using metal plates. The image is built from the contrasting lines carved into the metal, which would have been an intensive, highly skilled practice. Think about the labor involved in creating such a detailed image. The textures of van Foreest's fur coat and beard are meticulously rendered, giving the portrait a tactile quality despite being a flat, printed image. The contrast of dark and light areas creates depth, emphasizing van Foreest's features and clothing. The choice of engraving as a medium is itself significant, reflecting the values of precision and control, which are also found in the sciences that van Foreest practiced. The fact that this image can be reproduced also speaks to the rising merchant class of the Netherlands, and the growth of a culture of commodified images. Looking closely at the materials and making of this print opens up questions about labor, skill, and the shifting social landscape of the 16th century.