Christus en de Samaritaanse vrouw bij de put 1525 - 1565

Editor: So this is "Christus en de Samaritaanse vrouw bij de put", or Christ and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, made sometime between 1525 and 1565. It’s currently held in the Rijksmuseum, and Nicolas Beatrizet is credited as the printmaker after a design by Michelangelo. It's an engraving. I’m really struck by how…detailed everything is, even though it’s a print. What are your initial thoughts on this work? Curator: This engraving highlights several key aspects of Renaissance material culture. Let's consider the socio-economic factors involved in its creation and consumption. Engravings like these weren't just about art; they were about disseminating ideas and religious narratives in a portable, reproducible format. The availability of paper, the skill of the engraver, and the printing press are crucial factors. How does the print's medium – the easily reproduced engraving – affect its original audience? Editor: That’s a great point. The accessibility is key. Were engravings like these intended for a wider audience than, say, painted panels or frescoes? Curator: Precisely. The print allowed the subject, from the Bible, to reach individuals who wouldn’t have necessarily been able to afford original paintings, such as merchants, craftsmen, and even lower-ranking clergy. The image could be shared and traded; we can look at the global impact as its meaning would diffuse outward, adapted, copied. What effect does that proliferation have? Editor: That makes a lot of sense. Considering that context really opens up a whole new perspective. Now that you mention its availability, how that alters its reception and function as a material object? Thank you! Curator: Certainly, paying attention to materials and methods allows us to consider the cultural meaning tied to its modes of production and the art itself, as material with potential impact..