Maria met kind op een troon c. 1506 - 1538

Albrecht Altdorfer made this tiny print, depicting the Virgin Mary and child enthroned, using engraving. This involved cutting lines into a copper plate with a tool called a burin. Think about the hand-eye coordination required to make those crisp lines! Look at the density of marks, creating areas of dark shadow, set against pure white paper. The texture is incredibly fine, yet captures the rich folds of Mary’s drapery, and the plump faces of the angels. The whole composition has a sense of both majesty and tenderness. Engraving, unlike woodcut, allows for incredible detail, and became a prized skill during the Renaissance. It was applied to many purposes, including both original artworks and the reproduction of paintings. Prints like these also had a crucial role in circulating imagery and ideas, a vital form of mass media in its day. Next time you encounter a print, consider the labour involved, and the relationship between process, skill, and social impact.