Gildemeesters onthoofd te Zwolle, 1416 1783 - 1799

Reinier Vinkeles made this engraving of the beheading of the Guild Masters of Zwolle in 1786. Engraving is a printmaking process where the artist uses a tool to incise a design into a metal plate, traditionally copper. This requires considerable strength and control, as the depth of the lines determines the darkness of the printed image. Note the incredibly fine lines, achieved by cutting into the plate with a burin, held at a precise angle. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate to transfer the image. It is this pressure that leaves an impression on the paper, both physically and metaphorically – a fitting echo of the gruesome scene depicted. The print could be produced in multiples, thereby turning social events into mass media. It’s a reminder that even images we might now consider 'fine art' were once deeply entwined with the politics and anxieties of everyday life.