Nicodemus Visiting Christ by Night 16th-17th century

Editor: This is "Nicodemus Visiting Christ by Night" by Raphael Sadeler, the Elder, currently housed in the Harvard Art Museums. It's an intriguing print. What stands out to you about it? Curator: The engraving medium is vital here. Consider the labor: the skilled artisan meticulously translating a scene onto a metal plate. The lines, the cross-hatching – they're not just aesthetic choices, but deliberate acts of production and consumption. How does the act of reproducing and distributing affect the work's meaning and reach? Editor: That's an interesting perspective, focusing on the materiality and process. I hadn't considered that. Curator: It shifts the focus from solely the narrative to the material conditions that made the image accessible. It makes you think about who would purchase it and how that affects your understanding of the artwork and its purpose. Editor: I see what you mean! Thinking about the print as a commodity changes how I interpret its message and its circulation. Thanks!