Death of Mark the Evangelist, Alexandria, AD 64 

Editor: This print by Jan Luyken, titled "Death of Mark the Evangelist, Alexandria, AD 64", is really striking. The starkness of the engraving contributes to the brutal scene it depicts. I'm especially drawn to how the material, the engraved lines themselves, create such a sense of violence. How do you read the relationship between the subject matter and the medium? Curator: I see the etching's linear quality as integral to its narrative of brutal, material subjugation. Look at how Luyken utilizes the very process of engraving—the act of cutting lines into a metal plate—to mirror the violence being inflicted upon Mark. The bodies are reduced to raw material, much like the plate itself awaiting the engraver's tool. Editor: So the labor of creating the print mirrors the violence depicted? Curator: Precisely. Consider the engraver's physical labor in producing this image. It invites us to think about artistic creation not just as an intellectual act, but also as a form of production tied to specific social and material conditions. The choice of a print also speaks volumes – making this image of martyrdom widely available, almost mass-produced. Think about the market for such prints at the time. Editor: It’s like the image itself becomes a commodity circulated in a system of religious and political beliefs. Does that accessibility cheapen or amplify the horror of the narrative? Curator: That tension is at the core of it. The print’s inherent reproducibility makes martyrdom – and the beliefs surrounding it – readily available, but the material and production costs make that accessible item less inexpensive and widespread. The accessibility amplifies it, the limitations cheapen the availability, while reinforcing its status as a valuable, desirable, symbolic commodity. How does that complexity impact our understanding of "Death of Mark the Evangelist?" Editor: I never considered the commodification aspect. I was stuck on the emotion, but this brings in the context of the print market and labor of the artist. Thanks!