Plate 30: Marcellus dedicating the spoils of war to Jupiter; from Guillielmus Becanus's 'Serenissimi Principis Ferdinandi, Hispaniarum Infantis...' 1636

This print, made by Johannes Meursius in the 17th century, depicts Marcellus dedicating spoils of war to Jupiter, using the technique of engraving. It is a testament to the skilled labor involved in printmaking at the time. Engraving is an intaglio process. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually incise lines into a metal plate. The depth and density of these lines determine the tonal range of the final print. Ink is then forced into these grooves, and the surface wiped clean, allowing the image to be transferred to paper under high pressure. This painstaking work required a high degree of precision and control. The image itself shows spoils of war, underlining the inherent connection between artistic production and commerce. The print not only serves as a historical record, but also as an object produced through skilled labor, which was then circulated in the economy, raising questions about labor and class. By understanding the methods and material of its production, we come to appreciate the broader historical and social context of this work.