Judith met het hoofd van Holofernes c. 1506 - 1538

Albrecht Altdorfer created this tiny engraving of Judith holding the head of Holofernes. The print was made with a metal plate, likely copper, that was painstakingly incised with lines to create the image. The materiality of this piece is all about the contrast between the immense labour involved, and the very small scale of the final product. Engraving is painstaking work, requiring absolute precision and control. The artist would have used specialized tools called burins and gravers to carve lines into the metal. The depth and density of the lines determine the amount of ink held, and therefore the darkness of the printed area. Given the level of detail here, Altdorfer must have been an exceptionally skilled craftsman. The choice of this medium speaks to the culture of printmaking at the time, which allowed for the relatively inexpensive dissemination of images to a wide audience. While Altdorfer was a fine artist, he understood the value of more democratized modes of production. This little print makes a big statement.