Bewijs van ontvangst van het vormsel van Cesare Brancadoro, aartsbisschop van Nisibi, 1792 1792

This small print, made in 1792 by Jan Gerritsz Visser, documents the Confirmation of Cesare Brancadoro, Archbishop of Nisibi. It's an etching, meaning the artist would have used a sharp needle to draw into a wax-covered metal plate, which was then submerged in acid. The acid bites into the exposed lines, which then hold ink for printing. Consider the labor involved: the careful drawing, the controlled corrosion of the plate, and the repetitive work of printing. It’s not ‘high art’, but a commercial job, designed to be given away as a keepsake. The quality of line suggests a skilled hand, someone accustomed to the demands of the print market. Even the paper itself has social implications. Its relative affordability allowed for the wide dissemination of images and texts. This print is a reminder that even seemingly minor objects can tell us a great deal about past practices of making, belief, and exchange.