Jagers bij de rivier Aniene bij Subiaco 1824 - 1826

This print, "Jagers bij de rivier Aniene bij Subiaco" was made by Alexis-Victor Joly, and it's a masterful example of engraving, a technique deeply connected to the rise of mass media. Notice how the scene is rendered entirely through precisely etched lines. The quality of the printed image depends entirely on the engraver's skill in using specialized tools, like burins and scrapers, to incise an image into a metal plate, usually copper. The plate is then inked, and the image transferred to paper under immense pressure. Consider the labour involved in creating such detail, the many hours of painstaking work. This print is a reproduction of a drawing or painting, making it accessible to a wider audience, but it’s also part of a larger story about the economics of art. Engravings like this one facilitated the distribution of images, but they also displaced other forms of art making, like painting, as the dominant medium. Ultimately, it is a reminder that every artwork is not just an aesthetic object, but also a product of specific social and economic conditions.