De negende plaag in Egypte 1755 - 1779

This print, “De negende plaag in Egypte”, or “The ninth plague in Egypt”, was made by the Kaiserlich Franziskische Akademie. It is an engraving, and the technique is critical to understanding its visual impact. The print was achieved through the labor-intensive process of incising lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then pressing it onto paper. This process allowed for the reproduction of images on a relatively large scale. The image depicts the biblical plague of darkness that befell Egypt, and the engraving technique itself mirrors this theme. The dense network of lines creates deep shadows, giving the scene a palpable sense of gloom. The hand-colored areas are muted, as if light is struggling to penetrate the darkness. Consider the context of printmaking at the time. It was a key technology for disseminating information and ideas. It made images like this widely accessible, and it was a medium deeply entwined with the social, political, and religious currents of the day. This work challenges the idea that art is solely about individual genius. It is a collaborative undertaking, involving both artistic skill and technical expertise, and a reflection of broader social and cultural concerns.