Lodewijk XVI betreedt de trap naar de guillotine

Reinier Vinkeles made this print of Louis XVI walking to the guillotine, and it tells us a lot about both intaglio printmaking and the French Revolution. Look closely, and you'll see that the image consists entirely of lines, which create tone, texture and form. Vinkeles created these lines by cutting into a copper plate, inking it, and pressing it onto paper. This highly skilled, laborious process allowed images to be reproduced quickly, and disseminated widely. Printmaking had a democratizing effect in Europe, allowing the swift circulation of both information and propaganda. This particular print shows the final walk of Louis XVI, as he prepares to be beheaded. His execution marked the end of centuries of aristocratic rule, made possible by the rise of the bourgeoisie and a new, accessible visual culture. The image is printed with ink on paper, humble materials that speak to the revolutionary leveling of social classes. What was once precious and unique, could now be widely distributed.