Gezicht op de Porte de la Conférence before 1655

This print of the Porte de la Conférence was made by Israel Silvestre in the 17th century, using etching. This is an intaglio process: the artist would have covered a copper plate with wax, drawn into it with a needle, and then submerged the plate in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, and the plate is then inked and printed. Etching allowed Silvestre to make multiple impressions of his image, which shows the gate as it stood at the entrance to Paris. Look closely, and you can see the way the etched lines vary in thickness, creating a sense of depth and shadow. The technique also lends itself to fine detail, ideal for representing the architectural features of the buildings. Prints like this one were luxury goods, consumed by a wealthy elite interested in urban views. While the print appears effortless, it actually represents considerable labor: from the extraction of the copper to the skilled work of the printmaker. Recognizing this labor helps us understand the print not just as an image, but as a material object embedded in a network of social and economic relations.