Ecce Homo 1660

Jan van Troyen created this print, Ecce Homo, sometime in the 17th century. It’s made with etching, a printmaking technique dependent on acid to cut lines into a metal plate. The image is built up from tiny hatched marks, and its material qualities – the fineness of the lines, the contrasts of light and shadow – give the image its drama. Look closely, and you can see the texture created by this demanding process. Printmaking was not always considered ‘high art’ and was seen more as a craft. Printmakers relied on skilled labor to pull the prints from the etched plates. The beauty and detail produced in this print, however, challenges any such distinction. By focusing on its materiality and production, we can appreciate the skill involved in creating the artwork. The image carries social significance and is more than just an expression of artistic genius, it's the result of human labor.