Plate 10: Allegory on the Discord in France, from Caspar Barlaeus, "Medicea Hospes" 1638

Pieter Nolpe created this print, "Allegory on the Discord in France," as part of Caspar Barlaeus's book "Medicea Hospes." As an engraving, the image is made through a painstaking process. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually carve lines into a copper plate. This is skilled work requiring years of experience, controlling the depth and fineness of each mark. The resulting matrix of etched lines is then inked, and the excess carefully wiped away, leaving ink only in the incised grooves. Paper is then pressed against the plate, transferring the image. The texture, weight and color of the ink all contribute to the print’s appearance. The final print then becomes more than just ink on paper; it’s an index of the labor that went into its production, and an artifact of the book trade, a growing industry at the time. Considering the materials and making of this print gives us insight into the book's political context and artistic conventions of the period. The print represents not just an image, but also a product of human ingenuity and craftsmanship.