Heilige Agatha met schaal met afgesneden borsten 1623 - 1660

This print of Saint Agatha was made by Pieter de Bailliu sometime in the 17th century. It’s rendered in the painstaking method of engraving, a process involving the careful removal of tiny slivers of metal from a copper plate. Look closely at the way this technique defines the whole image: the soft gradations of light and shadow, the flowing lines of the drapery, and the serene expression on Agatha's face. A crucial aspect of the print is the depiction of the saint's attribute: a dish bearing her severed breasts. This is a reference to the torture she endured for her Christian faith. The making of a print like this was slow, skilled work. The engraver had to translate the original design – likely a painting or drawing – into a language of pure line. Each mark was a testament to the engraver's control and precision. Although produced for the Catholic market, prints such as these were within reach of a broad audience. Understanding how this image was produced helps us to appreciate the wider world of devotion, as well as the circulation of art in the early modern period.