Portret van Hans Kremer op 41-jarige leeftijd 1555 - 1655

This portrait of Hans Kremer at age 41 was made by Johan Philipp Jakob Hipschmann, using engraving. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a surface, in this case a metal plate. Look closely and you can see how the lines create tone through density. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually cut the lines into the plate, a labor-intensive process requiring great skill. Once the plate is prepared, ink is applied and then wiped away, leaving ink only in the incised lines. Paper is then pressed onto the plate, transferring the ink to create the print. The texture of the paper and the depth of the lines all contribute to the final image. Prints like this one were relatively reproducible, which made them a means of circulating images and ideas. They occupy an interesting place, both a handcrafted object and a form of mass communication. Considering the material and process helps us understand its historical and cultural significance.