Dejanira being abducted by the centaur Nessos, a man with bow and arrow at right, after Reni 1802

This engraving, made by Charles Clément Bervic after Guido Reni, captures a moment of high drama from classical mythology. The medium here is key: the stark contrast of the black lines on white paper heightens the scene's intensity. Engraving is an intaglio process. The artist uses a tool called a burin to directly incise lines into a metal plate. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. When pressed against paper, the image transfers. Notice the fine, deliberate lines that define form and create shading. This wasn't a quick sketch; it demanded intense focus and meticulous skill. Engraving like this was a commercial endeavor, a way to reproduce and disseminate images widely. It connected artists like Reni to a broader public, but also relied on the engraver's labor – Bervic's skill in translating Reni's painting into a print for mass consumption. So, while the image depicts a scene of abduction, the print itself speaks to the dynamics of production and artistic exchange in the 18th century.