Portret van Georg Jakob Glaetzl 1736 - 1751

This print, made by Jacob Andreas Fridrich, depicts Georg Jakob Glaetzl, and was achieved through the meticulous technique of engraving. The image’s power lies in the contrast between the solid lines that define the sitter’s features, and the delicate shading used to suggest volume. Consider the sheer amount of labor involved in this traditional process, of incising lines into a metal plate, in order to produce the desired tonal range. This wasn't just a means of replicating an image; it was a performative demonstration of skill, a means of imbuing the portrait with status. Prints like this one existed in a complex relationship to labor and class. They were both a product of skilled work, and a means of disseminating images of the elite to a wider audience. Understanding the material basis of this printmaking is crucial to appreciating its social significance. It collapses any assumed distinction between high art and craft, by asking us to consider the artist’s skillful handling of their materials and processes.