Portret van Maria de' Medici 1743 - 1777

This is an engraving of Maria de' Medici, Queen of France, made by Etienne Fessard in the 18th century. The printmaking process is key here: an image painstakingly incised into a metal plate, then inked and pressed onto paper. Consider the labor involved: the skilled hand of the engraver, translating an image into a network of lines, each one defining form and shadow. The precision required speaks to a tradition of craftsmanship, where technical mastery was paramount. Printmaking also democratizes images; this portrait could be reproduced and distributed widely, shaping public perception of the Queen. The material qualities of the print – the crispness of the lines, the subtle gradations of tone – are all products of this meticulous process. It's a far cry from the unique, handmade object valued by traditional art history. Instead, it's a testament to the power of reproducibility, a precursor to the mass media of today. Ultimately, this print invites us to consider the social and economic forces that shape our understanding of art, challenging the divide between high and low, original and copy.