Johannes de Doper met drie engelen in de wildernis 1580 - 1600

Jacob de Weert made this small engraving, titled "Johannes de Doper met drie engelen in de wildernis", using a technique that was already centuries old. Lines are incised into a metal plate, and when printed, these hold the ink and create the image. Look closely and you can see how much labor went into this image. De Weert would have used specialized tools to carve the fine lines, building up areas of tone and shadow. Notice how the thickness and density of the lines describe the forms of the figures and the depth of the forest. Every mark is carefully considered. Engraving was a skilled craft, but it also served a vital purpose in early modern Europe. It allowed images to be reproduced and disseminated widely, playing a crucial role in the spread of knowledge and ideas. It's a reminder that even seemingly "high art" like this was deeply intertwined with labor, production, and the social context of its time. By understanding the making, we understand the meaning more fully.