Portret van Stephan Crachtius 1653 - 1676

This is Theodor Matham’s portrait of Stephan Crachtius, made with engraving. As a print, it is inherently of its time, when the proliferation of imagery was becoming newly possible. Engraving is a particularly interesting medium. Here, a metal plate has been worked directly with a tool called a burin, carving away tiny slivers of the material to create a dense mesh of lines. The plate would then be inked, the surface wiped clean, and the ink captured in the carved lines transferred to the paper under great pressure. Consider the labor involved in producing this likeness, the intense concentration and skill required. Notice how the artist used the build-up of lines to describe the fur collar, the stubble on Crachtius’ face, and the folds of his cap. Every detail, even the wisp of smoke from the candle, has been carefully rendered. In the end, it is the materiality and the making, which gives this portrait its unique power, forever capturing the likeness and the moment in time.