Alexander og Roxane 1500 - 1576

Giulio Bonasone created this print of Alexander and Roxane using engraving, a process that demanded immense skill. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a copper plate. The depth and density of these lines determined how much ink the plate would hold, thus controlling the tones and textures of the final print. Look closely, and you can see Bonasone’s mastery in the subtle gradations of light and shadow, achieved through carefully placed lines. Engraving like this was labor-intensive, and prints were luxury goods, demonstrating both the artist’s virtuosity and the patron's wealth. By focusing on the technical skill involved, we see how printmaking elevated craft to high art, blurring the boundaries between the two. The value lies not just in the image, but also in the evidence of skilled labor etched into the metal.