Portret van Wilhelmus van Eenhoorn

Jacob Houbraken made this portrait of Wilhelmus van Eenhoorn using engraving, a printmaking technique that requires a high degree of skill. Lines are incised into a metal plate, in this case copper, using a tool called a burin. The depth and thickness of these lines determine how much ink they hold, and thus the darkness of the printed mark. Notice the incredible level of detail, achieved through thousands of tiny cuts, from the sitter’s powdered wig and the folds of his cloak, to the texture of the books in the background. Engraving was a labor-intensive process, often involving teams of artisans working under a master engraver. The resulting prints like this one could be widely distributed, bringing images and information to a broad audience and in turn creating a market for the printing trade. So, next time you see an engraved print, consider the immense labor and skill required to create it, and the important role these images played in disseminating knowledge and shaping public opinion in the past.