Portret van Reinhold von Derschau 1648 - 1686

Joachim Wichmann created this portrait of Reinhold von Derschau using etching, a printmaking technique that reveals much about the hierarchies of labor and status in the art world. The process involves coating a metal plate with wax, then scratching an image into the wax with a needle. The plate is immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal, creating lines. The wax is removed, ink is applied to the plate, and then it's pressed onto paper. The resulting print captures the fine detail of the etched lines. Consider the division of labor here. Wichmann, the artist, designs and etches the image. But the printing process itself, which involves repetitive labor, is often delegated to other workers. The finished print, like this portrait, would have been relatively inexpensive to produce, making it accessible to a wider audience than a unique painted portrait. This challenges the traditional hierarchy between painting and printmaking, blurring the lines between art, craft, and industry.