Standbeeld van een gladiator in gevecht met een leeuw 1636

This engraving of a gladiator in combat with a lion was made by Giovanni Luigi Valesio, an Italian artist working in the early 17th century. Look closely, and you’ll see that it’s not just a drawing. Valesio has carefully cut lines into a copper plate, which would then have been inked and printed on paper. This process, known as engraving, required tremendous skill and labor. The precision of the lines speaks to the engraver's mastery, with finer lines creating subtle tonal variations that give depth and volume to the figures. Engravings like this one were often made after sculptures, and served to disseminate images widely. In a pre-photographic world, it was a means of circulating classical ideals and artistic innovation. The print, then, is not just a depiction of a gladiator, but also a testament to the power of reproductive technologies in shaping taste and cultural values. This makes us consider the role of craft in an emerging capitalist system.