Hans Krabbe til Søgård. Fra en ligprædiken 1648 1648

Curator: This engraving, “Hans Krabbe til Sørgaard. Fra en ligprædiken 1648,” made in 1648, offers a fascinating glimpse into the means of image production and social display during the Baroque era. It's more than just a portrait; it’s a crafted statement of lineage and power. Editor: It's interesting how detailed the engraving is, given its age. I’m struck by how the portrait of Hans Krabbe is framed by all those crests. What story do you think the artist is trying to tell with this print? Curator: Well, let's think about the material conditions. The act of creating and distributing prints like this one relied heavily on skilled labor. Engraving was a craft, a means of mass-producing imagery, of broadcasting the Krabbe family's social standing. It was a way of solidifying and disseminating a certain narrative about wealth and privilege through meticulous craftmanship. Consider the purpose of heraldry in the pre-industrial age as well! Editor: So it's less about high art and more about the practicalities of creating and circulating status symbols? How do the materials inform that, exactly? Curator: Absolutely. The lines etched into the metal plate, the paper it’s printed on—they all represent resources, labour, and access. Engraving wasn’t as individual as painting, it could reproduce endlessly, and because of that became useful for representing not just who someone was but what their societal legacy amounted to, using a specific iconography that indicated status and trade relations within the European nobility. Think of each crest as a mini-advertisement of family capital. What impression do you think such prints like this sought to convey in their target demographic? Editor: So, it's really a product of its time, both artistically and socially. I suppose this was the 'instagram' of its day - spreading status and messages? Curator: Precisely! And seeing it this way brings the image to life beyond just its aesthetic value. It highlights consumption and distribution. I never considered this work this way before!