Portret van Henri II de Rohan 1684 - 1743

This portrait of Henri II de Rohan was created by Jan Lamsvelt, most likely in the early 18th century, using engraving. Consider the process: a metal plate, likely copper, was painstakingly etched with lines to create this image. The incised lines hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under great pressure. It’s a method demanding precision and skill, akin to the work of a goldsmith. The fine lines capture the Duke's likeness, the intricate lace collar, and the gleam of his armor. The materiality of the print – the paper, the ink, the very lines themselves – speaks to a culture of reproduction and dissemination of images, reflective of growing literacy and a public sphere. Prints like these were commodities, produced for a market, and consumed by a public eager for images of nobility and power. This portrait offers not just an image of a man, but a glimpse into the social and economic structures of its time, a reminder that art is always made within a context of labor, politics, and consumption.