Saint Mark c. 1595

Editor: Here we have "Saint Mark" from the workshop of Jacques de Gheyn II, a small but striking print. The contrast between the saint and the lion is quite dramatic. How should we interpret this work? Curator: The etching reveals much about the means of production. Notice the controlled lines and hatching, indicative of the engraver's skill and labor. Consider, too, the materiality of the print itself – the paper, the ink, the printing press. These were all commodities in the early modern period, accessible to a growing middle class. The print, then, serves as a testament to a changing society. Editor: So it's less about the saint and more about how the image came to be consumed? That's fascinating! Curator: Precisely. It's about the democratization of images and the processes that made them available.