Plate 101: Silenus before King Midas, from 'Ovid's Metamorphoses' 1641

This print, made by Johann Wilhelm Baur around 1640, depicts Silenus before King Midas and was made using etching on paper. The stark black lines against the off-white create a dramatic scene. To create such lines, Baur would have employed a sharp, pointed tool to draw into a prepared ground on a metal plate. Immersed in acid, the exposed lines would be eaten away, and the plate then inked and pressed onto paper. The texture of the paper itself, slightly fibrous, absorbs the ink, giving the print a tactile quality. This process, developed during the Renaissance, was crucial for disseminating images and ideas. Prints like this one democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience beyond the wealthy elite. The labor involved, from the artist's hand to the printing press, highlights the intersection of artistic skill, craft production, and the burgeoning culture of print media in the 17th century. Ultimately, understanding Baur's print requires us to consider not only its aesthetic qualities but also its materiality and the social context in which it was made.