Portret van Thomas de Brukonovcz 1648

This is "Portret van Thomas de Brukonovcz", made by Elias Widemann using engraving. The image is achieved through a laborious process of incising lines into a metal plate, which are then filled with ink and transferred to paper. Look closely, and you'll see the incredible amount of labor invested in this work. Each line, each dot, meticulously placed to build up tone and texture. The artist has really used the qualities of the medium to create the velvety blacks, the crisp whites, and the subtle gradations in between. Engraving like this was a highly skilled craft, a trade learned through years of apprenticeship. It was a key technology for reproducing images and disseminating information, but it was also valued for its own aesthetic qualities. It sits in an interesting place between art and industry. In this case, it immortalizes the sitter, Thomas de Brukonovcz, within a frame that speaks to the power of the printing press to convey status and disseminate identity. It reminds us that even seemingly simple images are the product of skilled labor and complex social forces.