Portret van Dawit II, keizer van Abessinië 1549 - 1575

Editor: So, this engraving, "Portret van Dawit II, keizer van Abessinië," from between 1549 and 1575... it has this serious, almost stern quality to it, due to the detail in the engraved lines. The cross seems a focal point. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn to the labor involved. Engraving demands a specific skillset, a deep understanding of materials - the metal plate, the tools used to incise it, the paper upon which it's printed. Consider the social context of printmaking in this era: it was a burgeoning industry, a means of disseminating images and ideas, but also reliant on workshops, apprenticeships, and patronage. What kind of value do you think this labor added? Editor: I guess it made the image more widely accessible, less precious than a unique painting. More people could own it, so its message could spread wider. Curator: Precisely. And the choice of subject – an Ethiopian emperor – points to early global trade and exchange. Engravings like this were commodities. They weren't simply artistic creations; they were products of complex economic and social networks. Notice how the detail emphasizes wealth. Can you expand on this idea of production in the era? Editor: It's amazing to think about the economic systems needed for something like this to exist. Someone had to mine the metal, manufacture the tools, and the printing itself suggests literacy and a market for images. Curator: Exactly! Think about how the means of production shaped the very message it conveys. The subject matter is filtered through layers of labour, trade, and cultural exchange. Editor: I hadn't really thought of it that way before. Focusing on materials and labour makes the artwork feel so much more connected to the world around it.