Theagenes wint de prijs in de Pythische Spelen 1628

Isaac Briot’s print, Theagenes wint de prijs in de Pythische Spelen, was made with an engraver's tool, a burin, sometime between 1600 and 1670. This print is an exemplar of the engraver's art. Briot incised lines on a copper plate; the depth and density of these marks created the image's visual texture and tonal range. The process is labor-intensive and requires a high degree of skill and control. The engraving is a reproductive medium, so it was probably made to circulate an image of the games to a wider audience. The depicted scene celebrates athletic prowess; however, the print itself is a testament to a different kind of mastery. Consider the work involved in producing such an image. The engraver transforms metal into a matrix of finely wrought lines. In doing so, they are both craftsmen and artists, bridging the gap between the worlds of labor and aesthetics.