Portret van Willem IV, prins van Oranje-Nassau 1747

This portrait of Willem IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau, was made by Johann Christoph Sysang, and is a print. Look closely and you'll see that it's rendered entirely through engraved lines. Printmaking, like pottery or weaving, is a fundamentally reproducible medium. While painting and sculpture are unique artworks by definition, prints are made to be widely disseminated. This makes them especially useful for political purposes. In this case, the portrait of Willem IV would have reinforced his image and authority as a leader. The image is a result of skilled labor by an artist familiar with techniques that allow for meticulous detail, tone and texture. Every line has been carefully considered to capture the likeness of the prince. So next time you see a print, think about the labor involved, the social context of its creation, and the many hands that helped bring it into being. It may just change your understanding of art history.