Aanval over zee en land op San Michele 1665

Antonio Francesco Lucini created this print of the attack on San Michele, sometime between 1610 and 1710. With a process called etching, the artist created a highly detailed image, pressing ink into the lines etched into the metal plate, and transferring the image to paper. Look at the detail! The lines create a range of tonal values, from light to dark, creating a rich, detailed image of the battle scene. The linear quality lends itself to graphic clarity, useful for depicting complex scenes with numerous figures and architectural details. Given the medium, Lucini could produce multiple impressions of the same image, making it widely accessible. The print is a powerful vehicle for disseminating information, propaganda, or artistic expression. It is this reproducibility that places the work within a wider sphere of social and political contexts. The work prompts us to consider not only the event depicted, but also the means by which it was communicated and consumed, blurring the boundaries between art, information, and social commentary.