Portret van Jean-Baptiste Santeuil 1666 - 1707

This is Gérard Edelinck’s “Portret van Jean-Baptiste Santeuil,” an engraving. Edelinck was a master of the burin – the steel tool used to incise lines into a copper plate. The deeper the cut, the more ink it holds, and the darker the printed line will be. Look closely, and you can see how Edelinck varied his marks to describe textures, from the soft drape of Santeuil's robe to the sharp glint of light on his face. It’s important to remember that engraving is a slow, exacting process. Each line represents a deliberate decision and hours of labor. In a way, this painstaking approach mirrors the intellectual rigor of Santeuil himself, a renowned poet and scholar. The print would have been a relatively affordable way to circulate his image, but we shouldn’t forget the skilled work involved in its creation. The artistry of Edelinck elevates this portrait beyond mere reproduction, making it a testament to both Santeuil’s accomplishments and the engraver's craft.