Apostel Judas Thaddeüs (Jakobus de Mindere?) c. 1470 - 1491

This print of the Apostle Judas Thaddeus, or possibly James the Lesser, was created by Martin Schongauer sometime before his death in 1491. It's made of ink on paper, using the intaglio technique of engraving. Here, a metal plate, likely copper, would have been painstakingly incised with lines to create this image. It's worth noting that the character of a print like this resides entirely in these lines. Schongauer's skill in varying their depth and density lends the figure weight, volume, and dynamism. This is achieved not only through the artist's expertise, but also the natural properties of metal, ink, and paper, working together. Engraving like this also speaks to a much wider context. It was through printmaking that images could be widely disseminated, making art accessible in a way that paintings and sculptures never could. The labor-intensive process of engraving became a means of democratizing art.