Portret van Lodewijk XIV, koning van Frankrijk, met gestrikte linten op de schouder 1660 - 1664

This print of Louis XIV, King of France, was made by Pieter van Schuppen, most likely in the mid to late 17th century. It's an engraving, which means the image was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, and then printed. Engraving was a highly skilled, labor-intensive process. The quality of the lines, the fineness of the details—look especially at the king’s hair, and the elaborate decorative frame around him—all speak to Van Schuppen's mastery. Consider the economics of printmaking at this time; engravings like this were luxury items, made for a relatively small, wealthy audience. The image of Louis XIV would have circulated among the elite, reinforcing his power and status. The print also demonstrates a tension, common at the time, between handcraft and nascent industrialization. Each print is essentially a multiple, yet each one also required a great deal of hand work to produce. By appreciating the process, and the place of craft within it, we understand the image more fully, and can consider its wider social implications.