Achilles met lijk van Hector achter zijn zegewagen c. 1700

This print, by J. Alexander Janssens, depicts Achilles with Hector's body behind his chariot, and is made using engraving, a printmaking technique with a long and rich history. The fine lines you see are the result of the artist using a tool called a burin to carve directly into a metal plate. This is a painstaking process, demanding precision and control. The incised lines hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under great pressure. Engraving was crucial for disseminating images and knowledge, acting as a primary form of visual communication before photography. But it was also labor-intensive. Consider the hours of skilled work embedded in this small print. The act of engraving itself becomes a meditation on labor, power, and the translation of epic stories into reproducible forms. Looking at this print, we can appreciate not only the artistic skill involved, but also the social and technological context that shaped its creation.