Portrait of Joan Michael Fleischman - Cornelis van Noorde

A detailed 1768 portrait of punchcutter Joan Michael Fleischman at his workbench, surrounded by the tools of the printing trade.

This portrait by Cornelis van Noorde depicts Joan Michael Fleischman, the German-born punchcutter who worked for the Enschedé type foundry in Haarlem. The print captures the artisan at his workbench, surrounded by the specialised tools of his trade. Fleischman is shown in profile, wearing a tricorn hat and a simple coat, his expression focused yet approachable. Before him lie various metal punches, matrices, and small hammers, items essential to the production of movable type during the eighteenth century. Van Noorde employs a precise etching technique, using fine lines to define the texture of the subject's clothing and the metallic sheen of the tools. The composition is structured around the workbench, which acts as a base for the portrait. Below the figure, a cartouche contains an inscription detailing Fleischman's name, his profession as a 'Konstig Letter-stempel Snyder' (artful letter-punch cutter), his birth in Nuremberg in 1701, and his death in Amsterdam in 1768. This text provides a clear historical record of the subject's life and career. The work offers a glimpse into the professional life of an eighteenth-century craftsman. It documents the material culture of the printing industry, showing the specific instruments used to create the typefaces that would eventually print books and newspapers across Europe. Van Noorde, a Haarlem-based artist known for his portraits and topographical prints, captures the dignity of the manual labour involved in type founding. The print is a document of the collaboration between the artist and the foundry, reflecting the high regard in which Fleischman was held by his contemporaries at the Enschedé firm. The clarity of the line work and the balanced arrangement of the tools demonstrate the technical proficiency of Dutch printmaking during this period.