Portret van Nicole Ruggiero 1702 - 1773

Antonio Baldi’s “Portret van Nicole Ruggiero” is an engraving, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, which then holds ink and transfers the image to paper. The material quality of the print – the fineness of the lines, the gradations of tone achieved by hatching – is completely dependent on the skill of the engraver. Baldi had to be precise to render the likeness of Ruggiero, the texture of his garments, and the ornate lettering that surrounds the portrait. Engraving demands dedicated labor, and the ability to translate an image into a matrix of marks. Prints like this one circulated widely, reproducing images for a broad audience. It’s a process tied to the rise of capitalism and mass communication. The engraver, in effect, was an essential worker in the dissemination of imagery, and someone like Baldi could find steady employment in this capacity. This portrait reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are the result of careful, skilled work, and have a place in the larger world of labor and commerce.