Penningen ter gelegenheid van het derde eeuwfeest van de uitvinding van de boekdrukkunst in 1740 1738 - 1740

These prints commemorating the tercentenary of printing in 1740 were made by an anonymous printmaker, using the intaglio technique of engraving. Look closely and you’ll see how the image is created by making fine cuts into a metal plate, likely copper. Ink is then forced into these lines, and the plate is pressed onto paper. This process, though mechanical, requires immense skill, with the engraver acting as a translator of the original design. Notice how the varying depth and density of the lines create areas of light and shadow, and the incredible detail achieved in the portraits and the rendering of the printing press. The prints celebrate Laurens Janszoon Coster, whom the Dutch credit with inventing printing. The very act of creating these images through printmaking acknowledges the revolutionary nature of the medium itself. These prints embody a moment of self-reflection on the part of the printing industry, celebrating its own history and impact on society. It's a fascinating example of how a technology can become both a means of production and a subject of artistic exploration.