Sieradenboeket after 1623

This is Pierre Marchand’s 'Sieradenboeket', an engraving made using metal plate printing. The fine, deliberate marks that create this floral design are the result of careful, skilled labor. Marchand would have used sharp tools to incise lines into a metal plate, likely copper, then applied ink and pressed paper against it to transfer the image. Look closely, and you will notice the details of each flower. Engraving is itself an industrial process, allowing for the mass production of images. It served purposes both aesthetic and practical. This image, for example, may have been intended as a design source for jewelers, a template for their own skilled work. In this piece, we see an intimate connection between the hand of the artist and the potential for industrialized reproduction. It's a reminder that even in the realm of fine art, the means of production play a crucial role in shaping our experience and understanding.