Portræt af hærfører, Nikola IV Zrinski (Miklós IV Zrínyi) 16th century

This portrait of Nikola IV Zrinski was made by Matthias Zündt. The lines you see are actually incisions into a copper plate, a process called engraving. Consider the labor involved. Each line had to be carefully cut, and then the plate printed, in reverse, onto paper. Look closely, and you can see how Zündt used the technique to create a full range of tones and textures. The portrait isn’t just an image of a military leader. The lines forming his face, clothing, and the surrounding battle scenes, all speak to power. Engraving was an intaglio printmaking technique, and the dissemination of this portrait through prints highlights the relationship between military might, technology, and cultural production in the 16th century. By understanding the material process, we can see how this print, and others like it, helped to shape perceptions of Zrinski, his status, and the world he inhabited. It challenges us to consider who has historically had the power to create such images, and who has been excluded.