Portret van René Descartes 1800 - 1832

This is a portrait of René Descartes made by Jean Charles Caron, who was active in the early 19th century. The print is an engraving, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, which was then inked and pressed onto paper. Notice the incredible detail Caron was able to achieve, especially in the face and hair. This was only possible because of the engraver’s steady hand, and mastery of specialized tools. Think of the labor involved in the production process. To create the print, the artist would have needed to be highly skilled, and their time would have been extremely valuable. The marks are so fine, and so numerous, that the image almost seems to materialize on the paper. What are we to make of this intersection between hand skill and the technology of printing? It's easy to overlook the labor and skill involved in producing images like this, but understanding the process helps us to appreciate the artistry and craft that went into it. It also reminds us to question traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.