Portret van Carolus Clusius 1682

This portrait of Carolus Clusius was made by Nicolas de Larmessin I in the 17th century using engraving. Engraving is an intaglio process, where the image is cut into a metal plate. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the copper, using a tool called a burin to methodically carve lines that capture Clusius’ likeness. See how Larmessin varied the depth and spacing of these lines to create areas of light and shadow, giving form to the face and clothing. Engraving was a highly skilled, labor-intensive process. These prints would have been made in multiples and distributed, making images like this one available to a wider public. In this way, the skilled labor of the engraver is tied to burgeoning systems of commerce and knowledge dissemination. Paying attention to the materials and making of this print helps us understand not only the image itself but also the broader social and economic context in which it was created.