Portret van frère Jaques de Beaulieu als heremiet 1700

This print of Frère Jaques de Beaulieu as a hermit, was made by Pieter van den Berge, likely around 1700, using the technique of etching. The material and processes used here - metal plate, acid, and printing press - were innovative for their time. They allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, a kind of proto-industrialization of artmaking. Look closely, and you can see how the etched lines create tone and texture. This process democratized image production, making it more accessible than painting. In terms of labor, the print involved the skilled work of the artist in drawing and etching the plate, as well as the labor of the printer to produce the final image. The finished prints could then be widely distributed. The very existence of this portrait, and its accessibility through print, speaks to the changing dynamics of artistic production in the early modern period, blurring the lines between fine art, craft, and commodity.