Joseph I (August), Holy Roman Emperor

The technique of micrography, in which artists use microscopic script to realize abstract designs or figurative representations, traces its origins to Islamic and Judaic traditions of image-making with minute letter forms. In the early 18th century Germany artists such as Johann Michael Püchler and Matthias Buchinger also practiced the art form, creating ingenious images that required great dexterity from their creators and sustained scrutiny from their viewers. These two prints show how the artist reworked the print matrix to enlarge the text inscription and coat of arms at the bottom margin.